Also known as: ropocamptide, Cap-18, cathelicidin LL-37, CAP18, Antibacterial peptide LL-37, antimicrobial peptide LL-37, LL-37 antibacterial peptide, FA-LL-37
LL-37 (ropocamptide, Cap-18, cathelicidin LL-37) is classified under other / experimental, sold for research use only and not approved for human consumption.
Aggregated from the cited literature below. We summarize sources — we don't author claims.
LL-37 (also referred to as ropocamptide, CAP-18, and cathelicidin LL-37) is described as the only known human member of the cathelicidin family of peptides and as a multifunctional host defense molecule. Reviews and studies characterize LL-37 as having antimicrobial activity and multiple additional host-related cellular/inflammatory functions, including effects on chemotaxis, neutrophil-associated processes, angiogenesis, tissue repair/wound repair, epithelial activation, and cytokine release. Research also discusses regulation of LL-37 production (including CAP-18 gene expression influenced by vitamin D3) and possible inhibitory interactions at infection sites (e.g., with DNA and F-actin).
Mechanism (as reported)
Sources describe LL-37 as a peptide with antimicrobial activity that can prevent immunostimulatory effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, and as interacting with host and microbial components in ways linked to inflammatory processes. In lung-related and other contexts, LL-37 is described as a multifunctional peptide that can include cytotoxicity to host cells, chemotaxis, epithelial activation, angiogenesis, and epithelial wound repair. In Legionella micdadei research, LL-37 is described as interacting with bacterial membrane phospholipids (with effects depending on phospholipid composition, including phosphatidylcholine fraction), and associated with perturbation of bacterial-derived phospholipid monolayers; growth inhibition was reported and was modulated by exogenous choline affecting membrane PC synthesis.
Key findings (each cites a source)
A study/review reported that antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is the only known member of the cathelicidin family expressed in humans and is described as a multifunctional host defense molecule. [PMID 20049649, 15939310, 20600427]
Research described LL-37 as having antimicrobial activity against different microorganisms and as being able to prevent immunostimulatory effects of bacterial wall molecules such as lipopolysaccharide. [PMID 20049649]
A review reported additional activities for LL-37 including chemoattractant function, inhibition of neutrophil apoptosis, and stimulation of angiogenesis, tissue regeneration, and cytokine release (e.g., IL-8). [PMID 20049649]
A review reported that LL-37 production in cells is affected by multiple factors, including bacterial products, host cytokines, oxygen availability, and sun exposure through activation of CAP-18 gene expression by vitamin D3. [PMID 20049649]
Research/review described that at infection sites the function of LL-37 can be inhibited by charge-driven interactions with DNA and F-actin released from dead neutrophils and other lysed cells. [PMID 20049649]
A lung-focused review reported that LL-37 (the C-terminal part of the human cathelicidin hCAP-18/hCAP-18 precursor) is mainly expressed by neutrophils and epithelial cells and is characterized as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide with additional cellular activities related to inflammation. [PMID 15939310, 20600427]
Reviews reported LL-37 activities in infection/inflammation contexts including chemotaxis, epithelial cell activation, angiogenesis, and epithelial wound repair (among other host-response effects). [PMID 15939310, 20600427]
In sepsis research and review, antimicrobial peptides were described as first-line host defense and immunomodulators of inflammation; the LL-37 peptide originating from human cathelicidin (hCAP18) was described as a focus for understanding mechanisms relevant to sepsis. [PMID 40960088]
A sepsis-focused source reported that LL-37 concentration changes dynamically in blood during sepsis and stated that in animal models, exogenous LL-37 peptide increased survival in mice with experimentally induced sepsis. [PMID 40960088]
A review on rosacea reported that pro-inflammatory pathways involving cathelicidins and inflammasome complexes are central to rosacea pathogenesis. [PMID 38450615]
In mycobacterial infection-focused discussion, research described hCAP18/LL-37 as a multifunctional molecule that may mediate host responses including bactericidal action, chemotaxis, epithelial cell activation, angiogenesis, epithelial wound repair, and activation of chemokine secretion, with LL-37 produced from human cells during mycobacterial infection. [PMID 20600427]
In a plant expression study, researchers reported that signal peptide LL-37 (SP-LL-37) enhanced disease resistance in transgenic rice against bacterial leaf blight and blast, with stable expression confirmed by RT-PCR and ELISA and localization shown via GFP fusion. [PMID 28282452]
Independent HPLC purity tests (46)
Real third-party HPLC results aggregated from Peptigrity, each attributed to the lab that ran it — average purity 99.5% across 46 tests. Not our verdict.
Labs: IL S Laboratories, freedomdiagnosticstesting.com, liquilabs, Vanguard Laboratory, Janoshik Labs, Kovera Labs, Analytical Formulations Inc, Accumark Labs.
Palusińska-Szysz M, Jurak M, Gisch N, Waldow F, Zehethofer N, Nehls C · Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids · 2022 · PMID 35231605
Boge L, Hallstensson K, Ringstad L, Johansson J, Andersson T, Davoudi M · European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Pharmazeutische Verfahrenstechnik e.V · 2019 · PMID 30445164
LL-37 (ropocamptide, Cap-18, cathelicidin LL-37) is classified under other / experimental, sold for research use only and not approved for human consumption. Research goals associated with it include immune support.
Is LL-37 FDA-approved?
No. LL-37 is sold for research use only and is not approved for human consumption.
What does the research on LL-37 say?
peptideone aggregates 9 references from PubMed for LL-37. The summary on this page digests them with citations; we summarize sources and make no efficacy claims.