While scientists have developed cures and vaccines for a host of medical afflictions, there still are many diseases that plague humanity. The use of peptide therapy may prove as a way to treat many types of autoimmune disorders as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and even common ailments such as allergies.
Peptides are interesting and complex structures that are created when amino acids become linked. The peptides will then form what are known as proteins, and there are many different kinds of proteins carrying out hundreds of cellular functions. These functions include everything from replicating DNA to transferring molecules from one place to another.
This important process begins with the building blocks of protein, which are the amino acids. When two amino acids are joined, like links in a chain, this is known as a peptide bond. While these are long and planar, they also can bend and fold, and the way that they fold has a huge effect not only on the type of protein that is formed, but also how well it functions. A protein with any type of peptide mutation can be the cause of a serious disease or biological anomaly, such as Crohn’s disease or anemia.
While this process occurs naturally in our bodies, it also can be recreated and occur in a laboratory, and many scientists are doing this today. This process, which is call peptide synthesis, can recreate a specific protein or peptide and also can be used to create new types of peptides that do not occur in nature.
There are many ways in which peptide synthesis can be used. For example, researchers might hire a biotechnology firm that provides peptide synthesis services so that they can further their studies of the active parts of different protein molecules. Another big use of peptide synthesis is to help develop therapies such as vaccines. These vaccines can be used to introduce new structure into a cell which can then fight a specific disease.
In recent years, there have been quite a few studies that showcase the positive effects of peptide therapy. In one promising study, the researchers created a new vaccine that significantly slowed the progression of Parkinson’s disease in mice. Several other studies have demonstrated that peptides can be used to stop or decelerate the growth of tumors. There also have been studies that show peptide therapy might be a useful way to treat Multiple Sclerosis. Although further research is needed and ongoing, peptide therapy might end up being a cure or treatment for many serious conditions.
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