Antimicrobial resistance

Researchers led by César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and School of Arts & Sciences have discovered encrypted peptides, a novel class of antimicrobial agents derived from non-immune proteins, which may enhance the immune system’s ability to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria by disrupting bacterial membranes. “Our findings suggest that these previously overlooked molecules could be key players in the immune system’s response to infection,” de la Fuente says.