Antimicrobial Peptides from Diversified Biological Resources Unveiling Platforms As Therapeutic Scaffold Against the Superbugs—A Review

Accelerated progression and global spread of antimicrobial resistance have significantly demanded the breakthrough of novel antimicrobials. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as defensins (from the genus Drosophila), bactenecin (peptides from bovine, caprine, and ovine), cathelicidins (peptides from birds, mammals, and reptiles), and buforins (derived from Bufo bufo gargarizans stomach), are preferred over conventional antibiotics due to their lower tendency to induce resistance, broad-spectrum antibiofilm responsiveness, and their potential to modulate the host immune response. Thus, they serve as a tool to address antimicrobial resistance. Functional and structural limitations, coupled with regulatory challenges, hinder the therapeutic and clinical translation of antimicrobial peptides. Moreover, several attempts have been made through numerous existing experimental and computational tools to streamline the preclinical or clinical design of AMPs as modern medicines. The current review summarizes the challenges, merits, and scope of AMPs against superbugs, highlights the enactment of potential AMPs as a promising advancement, the clinical trial status of approved AMPs, and outlines the necessities and priorities behind designing engrossed progressive strategies by considering the best existing tools.