{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n DEFB123, a member of the β‐defensin family of antimicrobial peptides, plays a multifaceted role in host defense. Studies in bovine systems have shown that DEFB123 exhibits potent antimicrobial activity, effectively inhibiting pathogens such as "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Escherichia coli"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " and "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Listeria monocytogenes"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Moreover, targeted modifications of DEFB123—such as enhancing its cationic charge or hydrophobicity—have been demonstrated to further improve its activity against antibiotic‐resistant strains like methicillin‐resistant "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Staphylococcus aureus"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In clinical settings, transcriptomic profiling in children at the onset of acute otitis media has revealed upregulation of β‐defensin 123, suggesting that its expression is part of an orchestrated innate immune response to bacterial infection (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Functional analyses of synthetic DEFB123 further underscore its role in host defense; not only does the peptide display broad antimicrobial activity against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, it also binds lipopolysaccharide (LPS), thereby inhibiting LPS‐induced activation of inflammatory cascades (including MAPK signaling and TNF‑α secretion) in macrophages. This LPS‐neutralizing activity translates in vivo, where DEFB123 administration has been shown to protect mice against LPS‑mediated mortality, highlighting its immunomodulatory potential (see."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Together, these findings indicate that DEFB123 not only directly targets and eliminates bacterial pathogens but also modulates the host inflammatory response, positioning it as a promising candidate for therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating infection‐associated inflammation.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Paul Cormican, Kieran G Meade, Sarah Cahalane, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Evolution, expression and effectiveness in a cluster of novel bovine beta-defensins."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Immunogenetics (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1007/s00251-007-0269-8"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00251-007-0269-8"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18369613"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18369613"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Kieran G Meade, Sarah Cahalane, Fernando Narciandi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Directed alteration of a novel bovine beta-defensin to improve antimicrobial efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Antimicrob Agents (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2008.05.005"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2008.05.005"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18775651"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18775651"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Keyi Liu, Linlin Chen, Ravinder Kaur, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Transcriptome signature in young children with acute otitis media due to Streptococcus pneumoniae."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Microbes Infect (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.micinf.2012.01.006"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2012.01.006"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22306269"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22306269"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Dirk Motzkus, Sandra Schulz-Maronde, Aleksandra Heitland, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The novel beta-defensin DEFB123 prevents lipopolysaccharide-mediated effects in vitro and in vivo."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "FASEB J (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1096/fj.05-4970fje"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.05-4970fje"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16790530"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16790530"}]}]}]}