Can LL-37 be injected safely?
No controlled study has tested systemic injection. The topical trial data do not answer that question.
Human trial data
LL-37 Side Effects
Human data for topical / intralesional use (wound trials); none for systemic injection
LL-37 has been given to people in wound-healing trials as a topical or intralesional treatment, where it was well tolerated at the doses used. It has no human data for systemic injection, and at higher concentrations it is cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory in vitro — the same properties that make it antimicrobial.
Research-use information only. Research-grade LL-37 is not an approved medicine; where trial or label figures appear below they belong to the pharmaceutical product studied, not to any research vial. This page does not give dosing or medical advice.
What is reported
Every rate carries its source. Where no source exists, no rate is printed.
| Effect | Rate (sourced) | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topical / intralesional use in venous leg ulcer trial | not quantified | Safe and well tolerated at the studied doses; higher doses showed no added benefit. | Grönberg et al. 2014 |
What is not known
- •Any human data for subcutaneous or systemic use.
- •Immunogenicity with repeated dosing.
Mechanism-based cautions
- •Cytotoxic to host cells at high concentration; pro-inflammatory signalling — the reason systemic dosing has not been pursued clinically.
- •Injection-site reactions are plausible and unquantified.
Regulatory status: Not approved anywhere.
References
- Grönberg A, et al. Treatment with LL-37 is safe and effective in enhancing healing of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2014.