Unfortunately, many of these compounds, which are often found in venom, are toxic to human cells. In this way, they were able to tweak the peptide’s structure to obtain optimal function. “By systematically analyzing the structure and function of these peptides, we’ve been able to tune their properties and activity,” he says. The peptides’ toxicity was tested on laboratory grown human embryonic kidney cells and the most promising candidates — i.e. Moreover, this systematic approach can be applied to other antimicrobial peptides in the hunt for more antibiotics, says de la Fuente-Nunez.

Source: Forbes December 10, 2018 11:26 UTC