RESUMEN
While scientific advances have led to large-scale production and widespread distribution of vaccines and antiviral drugs, viruses still remain a major cause of human diseases today. The ever-increasing reports of viral resistance and the emergence and re-emergence of viral epidemics pressure the health and scientific community to constantly find novel molecules with antiviral potential. This search involves numerous different approaches, and the use of antimicrobial peptides has presented itself as an interesting alternative. Even though the number of antimicrobial peptides with antiviral activity is still low, they already show immense potential to become pharmaceutically available antiviral drugs. Such peptides can originate from natural sources, such as those isolated from mammals and from animal venoms, or from artificial sources, when bioinformatics tools are used. This review aims to shed some light on antimicrobial peptides with antiviral activities against human viruses and update the data about the already well-known peptides that are still undergoing studies, emphasizing the most promising ones that may become medicines for clinical use.
Asunto(s)
Antivirales/química , Péptidos/química , Anfibios/metabolismo , Animales , Antivirales/metabolismo , Antivirales/farmacología , Artrópodos/metabolismo , Virus del Dengue/efectos de los fármacos , VIH/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Péptidos/metabolismo , Péptidos/farmacología , Plantas/metabolismo , Simplexvirus/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Arginine is considered a semi-essential amino acid in healthy adults and the elderly. This amino acid seems to improve the immune system, stimulate cell growth and differentiation, and increase endothelial permeability, among other effects. For those reasons, it has been theorized that arginine supplementation may be used as an adjuvant to conventional cancer therapy treatments. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to evaluate the existing knowledge of the scientific community on arginine supplementation in order to improve the efficacy of current cancer treatment. RESULTS: Despite the continued efforts of science to improve treatment strategies, cancer remains one of the greatest causes of death on the planet in adults and elderly people. Chemo and radiotherapy are still the most effective treatments but at the cost of significant side effects. CONCLUSION: Thus, new therapeutic perspectives have been studied in recent years, to be used in addition to traditional treatments or not, seeking to treat or even cure the various types of cancer with fewer side effects.