Antimicrobial Peptides of the Skin: Roles in Skin Cancer and Clinical Applications

ABSTRACT

Cutaneous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles in skin disease and cancer, and thus application for therapeutic potential. Beyond their contributions to innate defence and the skin's microbiome, AMPs have been implicated in inflammatory skin conditions and cutaneous malignancies. Comprehensive summaries of AMPs' roles in skin cancer and related current clinical developments remain scarce, despite abundant emerging evidence of pro‐ and anti‐tumour properties in other fields. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of AMPs, including dermcidin, psoriasin (S100A7), human cathelicidin (LL‐37), RNase‐7 and the human β‐defensins, in the context of skin cancer research and clinical developments. These AMPs influence skin tumorigenesis through microbiome regulation, innate immune pathways and chronic inflammation, and although the mechanistic details are subject to scrutiny, several AMP‐derived therapies, including LL‐37 and LTX‐315, have been developed for their potential in cutaneous oncology.