Cytotoxicity of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Assemblies: The Case of Gramicidin D

Bioactive molecules, such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are ubiquitous in nature, eventually displaying the ability to synergize with drugs and other biomolecules. They are amenable to synthetic modifications for imparting targeting, self-assembly properties as a protection against proteolysis , or for facile combinations with drugs or other molecules through physical or covalent binding. Their broad biomedical applications mostly derive from the effective destabilization of microbial or mammalian cells. Among the oldest AMPs reported are the linear gramicidins and melittin, which are presently being investigated as promising anticancer peptides. This review provides an overview of novel formulations for AMPs and their broad perspectives in therapeutics.