Antimicrobial Peptides versus Microbial Resistance Mechanisms

Development of resistance by pathogenic microbes to conventional antibiotics forced the search of novel molecules that may not develop resistance. AMPs were one such drug candidate for which resistance development was thought to be unlikely because the primary target of AMPs being anionic biological membrane. Any modifications in the membrane would hamper its functional and structural integrity and challenge the bacterial survival. Secondly, their multiple low affinity target sites makes it difficult for the microbe to modify every target, and the presence of large number of AMPs in the host is challenging as they have to develop resistance against the vast array of AMPs [1]. Even though it is highly challenging on the part of the microbes to become resistant, nature always favors the survival of all organisms and hence many microbial resistance mechanisms against AMPs have been investigated in recent years [2].