Journal Article

Human and Marine Host Defense Peptides for Healthy Skin

Ovchinnikova, Tatiana V., Guryanova, Svetlana V., Belogurova-Ovchinnikova, Oksana Yu

2026

Overview

The skin serves as the first line barrier of innate immunity, protecting the body from external influences and maintaining its homeostasis. Exogenous and endogenous stress factors alter the structure and functional properties of the skin. The search for compounds capable of counteracting these processes has allowed the identification of peptides as promising ingredients of products for medicinal and cosmetic applications. This review comprehensively examines the mechanisms of action and dermatological applications of two distinct classes of natural products—endogenous human peptides and those derived from marine organisms. Human peptides exhibit numerous biological functions, including antimicrobial and immunomodulatory ones, as well as promoting antioxidant protection and wound healing. Microbiome-associated peptides are an underestimated but powerful regulator of skin aging through immunomodulation, inflammation control, barrier function maintenance, and selection of the proper microbial community. Peptides from marine organisms exhibit significant structural diversity and a broad spectrum of biological activity, including regenerative effects and effects on antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. This review summarizes current data obtained from in vitro, ex vivo, and clinical studies demonstrating a broad potential of peptides for maintaining skin health. Both peptide classes represent powerful, targeted strategies for innovative dermatological interventions aimed at promoting skin rejuvenation, protection, and overall homeostasis.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
• Subject: Aging / Animals / antibacterial / antibiofilm / Antibiotic resistance / Antibiotics / antifungal / Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - pharmacology / antimicrobial peptides / Antimicrobial Peptides - pharmacology / Antioxidants - pharmacology / Aquatic Organisms - chemistry / Bacteria / Biological activity / Cytokines / Defense / Dermatitis / Disease prevention / Drug resistance / Drug resistance in microorganisms / Exocrine glands / Gram-negative bacteria / Gram-positive bacteria / Homeostasis / host defense peptides / Humans / Immunity, Innate / Immunomodulation / immunomodulatory / Inflammation / Innate immunity / Marine organisms / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Microbiomes / Microorganisms / Natural immunity / Natural products / Pathogens / Peptides / Psoriasis / Review / Skin / Skin - drug effects / Skin Aging - drug effects / Skin Microbiome / Tumor necrosis factor-TNF / Viral infections / Wound healing / Wound Healing - drug effects