The invention relates to the use of a molecule comprising a backbone of 2 to 35 non-hydrogen atoms in length, having covalently attached thereto at least two bulky and lipoophilic groups and having at least one more cationic than anionic moiety, in the manufacture of a medicament for destabilising microbial cell membranes and the use as a membrane acting antimicrobial agent of a molecule comprising a backbone of 2 to 35 non-hydrogen atoms in length, having covalently attached thereto a super bulky and lipophilic group comprising at least 9 non-hydrogen atoms and having at least two more cationic than anionic moieties and to methods of treatment involving such molecules, in particular peptides including peptide derivatives, and peptidomimetics.
The invention relates to the use of a molecule comprising a backbone of 2 to 35 non-hydrogen atoms in length, having covalently attached thereto at least two bulky and lipophilic groups and having at least one more cationic than anionic moiety, in the manufacture of a medicament for destabilising microbial cell membranes and the use as a membrane acting antimicrobial agent of a molecule comprising a backbone of 2 to 35 non-hydrogen atoms in length, having covalently attached thereto a super bulky and lipophilic group comprising at least 9 non-hydrogen atoms and having at least two more cationic than anionic moieties and to methods of treatment involving such molecules, in particular peptides including peptide derivatives, and peptidomimetics.
The invention provides a method of treating tumors by adminstering to a human or animal patient an effective amount of a molecule of 2 to 4 amino acids or equivalent subunits in length, which incorporates a bulky and lipophilic group comprising at least 13 non-hydrogen atoms and containing no more than 2 polar functional groups, in which the bulky and lipophilic group incorporates one or more closed rings of 5 or more non-hydrogen atoms, and in which the molecule further has at least two more cationic than anionic moieties.