Protegrins: new antibiotics of mammalian origin

Protegrins and their derivatives are a new class of peptide antibiotics bas ed on mammalian antimicrobial peptides. Their pharmacological properties in clude an unusually broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against Gram-po sitive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi and some enveloped viruses. Precli nical and clinical studies of the lead compound, IB-367, developed for topi cal applications, show promise for the prevention of chemotherapy- and radi ation-induced oral mucositis.