Gene co-expression analysis uncovers the different effects of cathelicidin in lung squamous cell and in invasive breast carcinomas

Antimicrobial peptides are multi-functional peptides that possess a broad range of mechanisms of action. They have been investigated as novel therapeutic options in the field of infectious diseases, but an increasing number of publications suggest that they also play an important role in the pathology of cancer.

Here, using an in silico approach, we investigated the pathways associated with LL-37, the only human member of the cathelicidin family of antimicrobial peptides, in lung squamous cell and in invasive breast carcinomas.

We found that LL-37 is implicated in different and even opposing cell responses, depending on the type of cancer, and participates in intriguing molecular processes, such as platelets activity, coagulation and extracellular matrix organization.