Beta-defensin 108B (DEFB108B)

Beta-defensin 108B is a member of the beta-defensin family, a group of small, cysteine-rich, cationic peptides that play a key role in the innate immune system. These peptides are primarily produced in barrier tissues such as epithelial surfaces and exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity by disrupting bacterial cell membranes via pore formation and cell lysis. Beta-defensin 108B is encoded by the DEFB108B gene, found within a genomic cluster of beta-defensins, and is expressed in various tissues, contributing to early host defense mechanisms. Beyond direct antimicrobial activity, beta-defensins can recruit and activate immune cells, modulate inflammatory responses, and help maintain the integrity of epithelial barriers. Variations in beta-defensin genes, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), can affect susceptibility to infection and, in broader familial context, are implicated in some immune or developmental disorders, but DEFB108B itself is not a routine clinical biomarker nor a direct therapeutic target.

Other names

DEFB108DEFB8BD-8DEFB-8hBD-8Beta-defensin 8Defensin, beta 108Defensin, beta 108Bbeta-defensin 108Bbeta-defensin 8defensin, beta 8

Not applicable for drugs. As an endogenous peptide, Beta-defensin 108B's mechanism involves: Disruption of microbial membranes through pore formation and membrane depolarization (leading to cell lysis); Direct binding to microbial surfaces due to cationic charge, competing with divalent cations for binding sites.