Cutaneous and microbial proteins

Cutaneous and microbial proteins refer to the collective group of proteins found within the human skin (such as keratin and collagen) and on the surface of or within colonizing microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses (StatPearls, 2023). This term is frequently used in clinical pharmacology to describe the non-specific binding sites for topical antiseptic agents, including povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine (NCBI, 2022). These agents exert their antimicrobial effects by oxidizing, halogenating, or denaturing these proteins, which disrupts microbial cell membranes and essential metabolic processes (PubMed, 2021). Because the binding is non-specific, these drugs also interact with host skin proteins, which contributes to their persistence on the skin surface—a property known as residual activity—but can also lead to localized irritation or allergic reactions (Journal of Hospital Infection, 2019). This "target" is not a single molecular entity but rather a broad category used to explain the multi-target mechanism of broad-spectrum topical anti-infectives used in surgical preparation and wound management (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

Skin and microbial proteinsDermal and microbial proteins

Non-specific oxidation, denaturation, or precipitation of proteins leading to microbial cell death and drug persistence on the skin (StatPearls, 2023; NCBI, 2022).