Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial peptides: an evolving phenomenon.

Bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics is currently a real problem all over the world, making novel antimicrobial compounds a real research priority. Some of the most promising compounds found to date are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The benefits of these drugs include their broad spectrum of activity that affects several microbial processes, making the emergence of resistance less likely. However, bacterial resistance to AMPs is an evolving phenomenon that compromises the therapeutic potential of these compounds. Therefore, it is mandatory to understand bacterial mechanisms of resistance to AMPs in depth, in order to develop more powerful AMPs that overcome the bacterial resistance response.