Novel Leech Antimicrobial Peptides, Hirunipins: Real‐Time 3D Monitoring of Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Mechanisms Using Optical Diffraction Tomography (Adv. Sci. 10/2025)

Novel Leech Antimicrobial Peptides The image features that the antimicrobial peptide hirunipin 2, secreted from the salivary glands of the leech (Hirudo nipponia), kills multidrug-resistant bacteria by attacking their cell membranes and rupturing the cell membranes, as well as destroying mature biofilms already formed by the multidrug-resistant bacteria. In article number 2409803, Seongsoo Lee, Song Yub Shin, Sung-Jin Cho, and co-workers highlight hirunipin 2 as a promising candidate for developing new antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm therapies, and as an adjunct to antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.