Emerging roles of antimicrobial peptides in innate immunity, neuronal function, and neurodegeneration

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a collection of small proteins with important roles in classical innate immunity, have been extensively studied in multiple organisms, particularly in Drosophila melanogaster. Advances in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing have allowed individual AMP functions to be dissected, revealing specific and selective roles in host defense. Recent findings have also revealed many unexpected contributions of endogenous AMPs to neuronal functions and neurodegenerative diseases, and have shed light on the intersections between innate immunity and neurobiology. We explore the intricate relationships between AMPs and sleep regulation, memory formation, as well as traumatic brain injury and several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). Understanding the diverse functions of AMPs opens new avenues for neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disease research and potential therapeutic development.