| abstract |
The present invention relates to cyclic compounds, preferably cyclic peptides, that at least comprise a stretch of positively charged amino acids, at some distance thereof an aromatic amino acid. The aromatic amino acid may be immediately followed by an amino acid with a thiol-group in the side chain. The cyclic compounds show a dramatic increase in antimicrobial activity as compared linear versions having the same amino acid sequence, in particular under physiological salt conditions. The cyclic compounds show antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of microbes and may be used in both prophylactic and therapeutic methods against infectious diseases. |