LL-37

Summary

LL-37 is the sole human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, expressed endogenously throughout the body as part of the innate immune defense, where it eliminates pathogenic microbes and modulates the host immune response ^[1,2]. Beyond direct antimicrobial action, it is reported to promote wound healing, angiogenesis (including neovascularization and VEGF expression), cell differentiation, migration and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, and modulation of apoptosis ^[1], and to exert antibiofilm effects by inhibiting bacterial adhesion, suppressing quorum-sensing, and degrading biofilm matrix ^[3]. It has also been implicated in cardiovascular processes such as regulation of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and cardiac hypertrophy, with engineered LL-37-related peptides explored for potential clinical application ^[4]. Importantly, the supplied literature characterizes LL-37 as an endogenous signaling molecule and reviews its biology rather than reporting interventional randomized trials of administering it as a therapeutic, so its human evidence as a drug remains limited and its in vivo efficacy and safety remain open questions ^[3].

Sources

1. 1. Regulation of LL-37 in Bone and Periodontium Regeneration Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2022.
2. 2. The LL-37 domain: A clue to cathelicidin immunomodulatory response? Peptides, 2023.
3. 3. Antibiofilm properties of cathelicidin LL-37: an in-depth review World journal of microbiology & biotechnology, 2023.
4. 4. Cathelicidin peptide LL-37: A multifunctional peptide involved in heart disease Pharmacological research, 2024.

For educational purposes only.