that are core to the project:

• Pérez-Peinado, Clara et al. 2018. Mechanisms of bacterial membrane permeabilization by crotalicidin (Ctn) and its fragment Ctn (15–34), antimicrobial peptides from rattlesnake venom, Journal of Biological Chemistry , 293, 1536-1549.
  http://www.jbc.org/content/293/5/1536.long

Our studies shed light onto the antimicrobial mechanisms of Ctn and Ctn(15-34), suggesting Ctn(15-34) as a promising lead for development as an antibacterial/antitumor agent.

• Neves, Vera; et al. 2017. Novel Peptides Derived from Dengue Virus Capsid Protein Translocate Reversibly the Blood–Brain Barrier through a Receptor-Free Mechanism, ACS Chemical Biology , 12, 1257-1268.
  http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acschembio.7b00087

Two peptides able to cross reversibly the Blood-brain barrier have been identified. These peptides are able to transport in and out the Central Nervous System therapeutic proteins.

• Dias, Susana A et al. 2017. New potent membrane-targeting antibacterial peptides from viral capsid proteins, Frontiers in microbiology , 8, 775.
  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00775/full

This paper highlights the successful quest for new antimicrobial drug leads.

• Figueira, Tiago N et al. 2017. Challenging metastatic breast cancer with the natural defensin PvD1, Nanoscale , 9, 16887-16899.
  https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2017/NR/C7NR05872A#!divAbstract

This paper reports the finding of a plant defensins that is indeed an efficient anti-tumor drug lead. Not only they kill primary cancer cell, they also abrogate metastatic cells from crossing the blood-brain barrier and reaching the brain.
Video explaining the anticancer activity of PvD1 , a bean protein: https://youtu.be/inFvb6ChMs4

• Freire, João M et al. 2015. Rethinking the capsid proteins of enveloped viruses: multifunctionality from genome packaging to genome transfection, The FEBS journal , 282, 2267-2278.
  https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/febs.13274

Viruses are dynamic molecular assemblies optimized to invade cells. Capsid proteins in particular are multifunctional proteins that may intervene in cellular membrane translocation and intracellular trafficking. Therefore, they are perfect sources for drug vectors able to transverse cell membranes and epithelia.

• Freire, João M et al. 2015. Shifting gear in antimicrobial and anticancer peptides biophysical studies: from vesicles to cells, Journal of peptide Science , 21, 178-185.
  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/psc.2741/epdf

Miguel Castanho (IMM) was awarded by the European Peptide Society with the Zervas Award for achievements in Peptide Science. In this occasion the editor or Journal of Peptide Science has invited M. Castanho to write an overview of the state of the art and prospects for the future.