All organisms mount an effective and rapidly acting defense, comprising various AMPs in response to invading pathogens. These AMPs, which are ubiquitously distributed on epithelial surfaces, occur in plants and in animals ranging from arthropods and insects to mammals.
However, as a result of the common and widespread use of diverse antibiotics, multiresistant bacteria such as MRSA and VRE are causing serious problems within health care. In hospitals they typically give rise to noscomial infections, which are difficult to treat with antibiotics.
The increasing development of resistance to antibiotics, potential toxic effects of antibiotics and antiseptics along with allergy problems are the major obstacles in the development of new antimicrobial therapies.
DermaGen aims to overcome these obstacles by developing a range of non-toxic AMPs for topical use that can be used to fight skin infections involving multiresistant and other bacteria. The distinctive mode of action and rapid effect of DermaGen AMPs help to prevent development of bacterial resistance to its therapeutic peptides.