College of Optometry, University of Houston, 4901 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204-2020, USA.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011 Jul;68(13):2201-13. doi: 10.1007/s00018-011-0713-7. Epub 2011 May 17.
The eye and its associated tissues including the lacrimal system and lids have evolved several defence mechanisms to prevent microbial invasion. Included among this armory are several host-defence peptides. These multifunctional molecules are being studied not only for their endogenous antimicrobial properties but also for their potential therapeutic effects. Here the current knowledge of host-defence peptide expression in the eye will be summarised. The role of these peptides in eye disease will be discussed with the primary focus being on infectious keratitis, inflammatory conditions including dry eye and wound healing. Finally the potential of using host-defence peptides and their mimetics/derivatives for the treatment and prevention of eye diseases is addressed.
眼睛及其相关组织,包括泪液系统和眼睑,已经进化出了几种防御机制来防止微生物入侵。其中包括几种宿主防御肽。这些多功能分子不仅因其内源性抗菌特性,而且因其潜在的治疗效果而受到研究。这里将总结眼睛中宿主防御肽表达的最新知识。本文将讨论这些肽在眼部疾病中的作用,主要关注感染性角膜炎、干眼症和伤口愈合等炎症性疾病。最后,将讨论使用宿主防御肽及其类似物/衍生物治疗和预防眼部疾病的潜力。