Effects of Wound Healing Peptides Derived From Amphibians in the Treatment of Skin Wounds

Background: Wound healing is a complex process consisting of four stages: homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and regeneration. The incidence of skin wounds is high and it causes infection, numerous complications, and imposes significant costs. Therefore, the choice of suitable and effective methods of treatment is necessary. A novel method is the use of the skin of amphibians. Many studies showed that after damage to the skin of amphibians, peptides are secreted from their skin, some of which showed restorative effects. So, in this study, we reviewed the effects of Peptides extracted from amphibians that aid in wound healing on mammalian skin wounds.Methods: A number of keywords including peptide, amphibian peptide, wound healing, and repairing tissue were searched in databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, etc. (۲۰۱۹ to ۲۰۲۳).Result: During the process of wound healing, infection caused by microorganisms can disrupt the epithelialization process, leading to the production of free radicals and oxidative stress. To promote better wound healing, it is essential to have compounds that are antibacterial, antioxidant, and restorative. It was observed that after damage to the skin of amphibians, the peptides secreted from their skin have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Prolonging the inflammation process leads to scar formation, therefore inhibition of TNF-α levels, activation of MAPK, and NF-kB signaling pathways by some of the mentioned peptides that reduce inflammation, help to reduce scar formation. Despite the advantages of these peptides, such as high bioactivity, short sequence, and ease of synthesis, they also have disadvantages, including unstable chemical properties, short half-life, rapid clearance, and easy enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, in order to increase the efficiency of peptides, their structure can be modified or even combined with other molecules such as nanomaterials. It is also possible to make new peptides artificially.Conclusion: Wound-healing peptides derived from amphibians, with various modifications, can be an effective method for accelerating wound healing and reducing scarring.