Amphibian antimicrobial peptides and Protozoa: Lessons from parasites

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from amphibians and other eukaryotes recognize pathogenicity patterns mostly related to differences in membrane composition between the host and a variety of bacterial, fungal and protozoan pathogens. Compared to the other two groups, protozoa are fairly neglected targets in antimicrobial chemotherapy, despite their role as causative agents for scourges such as malaria, amoebiasis, Chagas' disease or leishmaniasis. Herein we review the scarce but growing body of knowledge addressing the use of amphibian AMPs on parasitic protozoa, the adaptations of the protozoan to AMP pressure and their impact on AMP efficacy and specificity, and the current and foreseeable strategies for developing AMPs into practical therapeutic alternatives against parasitic disease.