Antimicrobial action of neuropeptides as new host defense peptides

Living organisms are continuously being faced with pathogens that disrupt homeostatic conditions in the body leading to different infectious diseases that cause increased mortality and morbidity worldwide. Current treatments are ineffective, toxic, and susceptible to resistance by the pathogens. This has generated the urgent need for the development of new therapeutic approaches that should include agents with non-traditional modes of action.  In this sense, in the last years it has been increased interest in the development of novel strategies based on our natural immune defenses. In this sense our work is focused on the characterization and research about neuropeptides with characteristics that resembles antimicrobial peptides. We are looking for those neuropeptides that combines a potential antimicrobial activity against diverse microbes together with a diverse range of functions modulating immunity. We are interested in investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in their mode of action and also in their potential therapeutic activity using animal models of different infectious diseases.