Data edition of
Residue An evidence-graded reference for peptide science

LL-37 research

What PubMed holds on LL-37, sorted by study design: the papers this site relies on, every clinical-trial publication PubMed tags, and the newest additions.

PubMed records
2,412
Trial publications
5736 randomized
Reviews
247
Human-subject tagged
1772
Animal-only
164
  • Clinical-trial publications 57
  • Reviews 247
  • Animal-only studies 164
  • Other (in vitro, chemistry, commentary, unindexed) 1,944
Figure 1. Composition of the LL-37 literature by PubMed publication type and MeSH tags. Categories come from separate PubMed filters and can overlap; “animal-only” means tagged Animals and not Humans. Query: ("LL-37"[tiab] AND (peptide OR cathelicidin)).
083166 1996: 1 records 1996 1997: 2 records 1998: 6 records 1999: 5 records 2000: 9 records 2000 2001: 11 records 2002: 20 records 2003: 25 records 2004: 32 records 2005: 53 records 2005 2006: 64 records 2007: 52 records 2008: 73 records 2009: 92 records 2010: 90 records 2010 2011: 122 records 2012: 116 records 2013: 113 records 2014: 133 records 2015: 140 records 2015 2016: 130 records 2017: 142 records 2018: 142 records 2019: 144 records 2020: 166 records 2020 2021: 155 records 2022: 148 records 2023: 116 records 2024: 126 records 2025: 148 records 2025 2026: 151 records (year to date) 2026
Figure 2. PubMed records per publication year matching ("LL-37"[tiab] AND (peptide OR cathelicidin)) — 2,412 in total; peak 166 in 2020. The 2026 bar is year-to-date (hatched). Volume of literature is not evidence of efficacy. Run this query on PubMed.

Studies this site relies on

Ordered by strength of design. Conclusions are quoted verbatim from each abstract as indexed by PubMed; read the full paper before relying on any of them.

  1. Randomized trial Wound Repair Regen · 2021 PMID 34687253

    Evaluation of LL-37 in healing of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers: A multicentric prospective randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

    Mahlapuu M, Sidorowicz A, Mikosinski J, et al.

    In summary, this clinical trial did not detect any significant differences in healing of venous lower leg ulcers in the entire study cohort comparing patients treated with LL-37 versus placebo. A subgroup analysis provided an interesting observation that LL-37 could offer a treatment benefit in patients with large ulcers, exigently …

  2. Randomized trial Wound Repair Regen · 2014 PMID 25041740

    Treatment with LL-37 is safe and effective in enhancing healing of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

    Grönberg A, Mahlapuu M, Ståhle M, et al.

    There were no safety concerns regarding local or systemic adverse events. In conclusion, topical treatment with LL-37 for chronic leg ulcers was safe and well tolerated with the marked effect on healing predictors at the two lower doses warranting further investigations.

  3. Primary study Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) · 2017 PMID 27663530

    LL-37 but Not 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D Serum Level Correlates with Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers

    Krejner A, Litwiniuk M, Grzela T

    Regardless of small study group, our results suggest that the assessment of serum concentration of LL-37, but not 25-hydroxy vitamin D, may help in predicting the wound healing efficacy. Moreover, this assessment may be useful in pre-selection of patients, which could benefit from local treatment with exogenous LL-37.

  4. Primary study Acta Derm Venereol · 2011 PMID 21547341

    Stability of the cathelicidin peptide LL-37 in a non-healing wound environment

    Grönberg A, Zettergren L, Agren MS

    In conclusion, LL-37 was degraded by trypsin, but not by matrix metalloproteinase-9, and was fairly resistant to proteolytic cleavage ex vivo by incubation with wound fluid from non-healing venous leg ulcers. Thus, the proteolytic environment of chronic wounds does not seem to prevent the therapeutic use of topical LL-37.

Clinical-trial publications in PubMed

57 records carry PubMed’s clinical-trial publication type; the 40 most recent are listed. Tagging is done by NLM indexers and occasionally includes secondary analyses.

Clinical-trial publications on LL-37
YearTitleJournalDesign
2026Assessing the Safety and Probiotic Potential of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis BI45: A Comprehensive Study from Genomic Analysis to Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in Healthy AdultsProbiotics Antimicrob ProteinsRandomized trial
2026Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF61: A multidimensional study on safety and functionality from genomics to clinical applicationFood Chem ToxicolRandomized trial
2026Acute effects of continuous and interval cycling on salivary SIgA and anti-microbial peptide secretions: a randomized crossover trialEur J Appl PhysiolRandomized trial
2025Impact of 3-dimensional myofascial release on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha biomarker in nonspecific low back pain: a randomised controlled trialEur Spine JRandomized trial
2025The Immunomodulatory Activity of High Doses of Vitamin D in Critical Care Patients with Severe SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia-A Randomized Controlled TrialNutrientsRandomized trial
2024Weekly Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent Acute Respiratory Infections in Young Children at Different Latitudes: A Randomized Controlled TrialJ PediatrRandomized trial
2024Acute salivary antimicrobial peptide secretion response to different exercise intensities and durationsAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp PhysiolRandomized trial
2024Outcomes of High-Dose Versus Low-Dose Vitamin D on Prognosis of Sepsis Requiring Mechanical Ventilation: A Randomized Controlled TrialJ Intensive Care MedRandomized trial
2024Effect of weekly vitamin D supplementation on the severity of atopic dermatitis and type 2 immunity biomarkers in children: A randomized controlled trialJ Eur Acad Dermatol VenereolRandomized trial
2023Efficacy of LL-37 cream in enhancing healing of diabetic foot ulcer: a randomized double-blind controlled trialArch Dermatol ResRandomized trial
2023Reduction of Erythema in Moderate-Severe Rosacea by a Low Molecular Weight Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA)J Drugs DermatolRandomized trial
2022Comparison of frailty in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease and bronchiectasis: a prospective cohort studyBMC Pulm MedClinical trial
2021Functional Antibodies and Innate Immune Responses to WRSS1, a Live Oral Shigella sonnei Vaccine Candidate, in Bangladeshi Adults and ChildrenJ Infect DisRandomized trial
2021Dose effect of bovine lactoferrin fortification on diarrhea and respiratory tract infections in weaned infants with anemia: A randomized, controlled trialNutritionRandomized trial
2021A randomized controlled trial on the coloprotective effect of coenzyme Q10 on immune-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative status, antimicrobial peptides, and microRNA-146a expression in patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitisEur J NutrRandomized trial
2020Seasonal Antimicrobial Activity of the Airway: Post-Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind TrialNutrientsRandomized trial
2020Antimicrobial peptides in human synovial membrane as (low-grade) periprosthetic joint infection biomarkersEur J Med ResClinical trial
2020The therapeutic efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12(®) in infant colic: A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trialAliment Pharmacol TherRandomized trial
2019Differential DAMP release was observed in the sputum of COPD, asthma and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) patientsSci RepClinical trial
2019Vitamin D and Phenylbutyrate Supplementation Does Not Modulate Gut Derived Immune Activation in HIV-1NutrientsRandomized trial
2019LL-37 promotes neutrophil extracellular trap formation in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polypsClin Exp AllergyClinical trial
2018Reduction of respiratory infections in asthma patients supplemented with vitamin D is related to increased serum IL-10 and IFNγ levels and cathelicidin expressionCytokineRandomized trial
2018Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an oxidized plasma cysteine redox potential in critically Ill childrenJ Steroid Biochem Mol BiolClinical trial
2017Real-World Efficacy of Azelaic Acid 15% Gel for the Reduction of Inflammatory Lesions of RosaceaSkin Therapy LettClinical trial
2017Niacinamide leave-on formulation provides long-lasting protection against bacteria in vivoExp DermatolClinical trial
2017Serum level of cathelicidin LL-37 in patients with active tuberculosis and other infectious diseasesJ Biol Regul Homeost AgentsRandomized trial
2017Impact of high-dose vitamin D(3) on plasma free 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and antimicrobial peptides in critically ill mechanically ventilated adultsNutritionRandomized trial
2017Antimicrobials from human skin commensal bacteria protect against Staphylococcus aureus and are deficient in atopic dermatitisSci Transl MedClinical trial
2017Circulating cathelicidin LL-37 in adult patients with pulmonary infectious diseasesClin Invest MedClinical trial
2017Cow's milk and rice fermented with Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 prevent infectious diseases in children: A randomized controlled trialClin NutrRandomized trial
2016The Cutaneous Microbiome and Aspects of Skin Antimicrobial Defense System Resist Acute Treatment with Topical Skin CleansersJ Invest DermatolClinical trial
2015Nasal Levels of Antimicrobial Peptides in Allergic Asthma Patients and Healthy Controls: Differences and Effect of a Short 1,25(OH)2 Vitamin D3 TreatmentPLoS OneRandomized trial
2015Significant Effects of Oral Phenylbutyrate and Vitamin D3 Adjunctive Therapy in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Randomized Controlled TrialPLoS OneRandomized trial
2015Effect of Cholecalciferol Supplementation on Vitamin D Status and Cathelicidin Levels in Sepsis: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled TrialCrit Care MedRandomized trial
2015Human cathelicidin antimicrobial protein 18 (hCAP18/LL-37) is increased in foetal membranes and myometrium after spontaneous labour and deliveryJ Reprod ImmunolClinical trial
2015Diagnostic value of anti-microbial peptide, cathelicidin in congenital pneumoniaJ Matern Fetal Neonatal MedClinical trial
2014Prenatal vitamin D₃ supplementation suppresses LL-37 peptide expression in ex vivo activated neonatal macrophages but not their killing capacityBr J NutrRandomized trial
2014Favorable interleukin-8 induction in human gingival epithelial cells by the antimicrobial peptide LL-37Asian Pac J Allergy ImmunolClinical trial
2014Treatment with LL-37 is safe and effective in enhancing healing of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trialWound Repair RegenRandomized trial
2014Citrullination alters immunomodulatory function of LL-37 essential for prevention of endotoxin-induced sepsisJ ImmunolClinical trial

Newest records

The most recent PubMed additions for this query at the data-edition date, regardless of design.

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