Breaking the frontiers of cosmetology with antimicrobial peptides

摘要

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are mostly endogenous, cationic, amphipathic polypeptides, produced by many natural sources. Recently, many biological functions beyond antimicrobial activity have been attributed to AMPs, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetics industry. AMPs have revealed antioxidant, self-renewal and pro-collagen effects, which are desirable in anti-aging cosmetics. Additionally, AMPs may also be customized to act on specific cellular targets. Here, we review the recent literature that highlights the many possibilities presented by AMPs, focusing on the relevance and impact that this potentially novel class of active cosmetic ingredients might have in the near future, creating new market outlooks for the cosmetic industry with these molecules as a viable alternative to conventional cosmetics.