The larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella prosper in use both as surrogate alternative model hosts for human pathogens and as a whole-animal-high-throughput-system for in vivo testing of
antibiotics or mutant-libraries of pathogens. In addition, a broad spectrum of
antimicrobial peptides and
proteins has been identified in this insect during past decade among which some appear to be specific for Lepidoptera. Its arsenal of immunity-related effector molecules encompasses
peptides and
proteins exhibiting potent activity against bacteria, fungi or both, whose potential as new anti-infective
therapeutics are presently being explored. Of particular interest is the insect
metalloproteinase inhibitor (IMPI) which has been discovered in G. mellonella. The IMPI exhibits a specific and potent activity against
thermolysin-like
microbial metalloproteinases including a number of prominent virulence and/or pathogenic factors of human pathogens which are responsible for severe symptoms such as
septicemia, hemorrhagic tissue
bleeding,
necrosis and enhancement of vascular permeability. The IMPI and
antimicrobial peptides from G. mellonella may provide promising templates for the rational design of new drugs since evidence is available that the combination of
antibiotics with inhibitors of pathogen-associated
proteolytic enzymes yields synergistic
therapeutic effects. The potential and limitations of insect-derived gene-encoded antimicrobial compounds as anti-infective
therapeutics are discussed.