What are Research Peptides?
To put it simply, any peptides employed in scientific study are considered research peptides. Peptides have been acknowledged in recent years as being reasonably safe and well tolerated by subjects and patients, while also being extremely selective and useful in therapeutic applications. Consequently, interest in peptides for pharmaceutical research and development has greatly increased. In order to unlock the medications and therapies of today and tomorrow, an increasing amount of research, analysis, and experimentation with peptides is required due to their promising potential for medical applications. As a result, there has been an increase in demand for research peptides to support advancements in these novel research directions.
Research Peptides vs Medicines?
Importantly, research peptides are only made available for in-vitro study and experimentation. From the Latin for “in glass,” in-vitro refers to studies performed outside of the body. Hundreds of peptide therapeutics have been evaluated in clinical trials, and scientists and researchers around the globe are using research peptides in the lab to explore beyond the realm of traditional peptide design, pushing the boundaries to discover peptide variants that can be used as pharmaceuticals in the future. Already, there are over 60 peptide-based medicines on the market that have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Among these are LupronTM, a treatment for prostate cancer, and VictozaTM, a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Both pharmaceuticals have achieved sales in the billions. However, it is essential to recognize that such FDA-approved drugs are NOT research peptides, they are just that: FDA-approved medications able to be prescribed by a healthcare professional for the treatment of a specific condition. Research peptides, on the other hand, are only intended for in-vitro study and research: they are not FDA approved for the treatment, prevention, or curing of any medical condition, disease, or ailment. Research peptides are those synthesized for study in the lab that can lead to new breakthroughs and future pharmaceuticals, but they become medicines only after undergoing rigorous study, clinical trial, and, crucially, the FDA approval process
Research Peptides as Future Therapeutics
There are more than 7,000 known naturally occurring peptides. As hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters, ion channel ligands, and anti-infectives, these peptides frequently have essential functions in the human body. Peptides are often efficient and specialized signaling molecules that attach to particular cell surface receptors to produce intracellular effects. Peptides have also demonstrated remarkable safety and tolerability in clinical trials, all the while retaining high potency and selectivity and a consistent metabolism. As a result, it is evident that peptides provide a vast potential for therapeutic advancement.
Currently, the primary areas of disease fueling the research and use of peptide-based pharmaceuticals are metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) and oncology. The huge increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes in North America and other parts of the world have driven the development of peptide therapeutics for treatment of these conditions. Increases in cancer mortality and calls for alternatives to chemotherapy have spurred peptide research focused on oncological remedies. In addition, peptide research has expanded into the areas of infectious diseases, inflammation, and rare diseases. Research into peptides has also revealed excellent potential for their use in diagnostics and vaccination. Crucially, all of the research and study focused on unlocking the therapeutic potential of peptides for future medicines is reliant upon research peptides to serve as the basis for experimentation and development in the laboratory.