If you are wondering what the future holds for peptide drugs, with new research data emerging daily, read on to understand why peptides are here to stay.
What are Peptides?
Generally, peptides are short chains (fewer than 50) of amino acids. They are selective signaling molecules that bind to specific cell surface receptors and trigger intracellular effects. Since they naturally exist, peptides are generally safe and well-tolerated, while still being effective and predictable when processed. They work where and if needed, and as they naturally exist in the bodies, overdose is unlikely with very slight side effects.
Since their early beginnings, peptides have been known in wellness and lifestyle communities. After many scientific studies, peptides have come a long way to emerge in the mainstream.
Today, there is an extensive library of available peptides on the market, and their point of production and research of new peptides with new effects are getting greater by the day and exploring new routes beyond traditional peptide design, and several hundreds of new peptides are in preclinical and clinical development.
Oral Peptides
The application of peptides is dictated by membrane impermeability, oral bioavailability, and stability, as their membranes are subjected to various digestive enzymes in the digestive tract and disintegrated before absorption.
In other words, most peptides cannot be taken by mouth because not all of the product reaches the intended target. However, peptides have been studied extensively to overcome such limitations in the future.
Improvements in the composition or modifying the surface of peptides could improve their stability. Currently, the scientists collaborate on identifying the ones that may be taken orally, and in the future additional steps will be taken to create a protective shield to transport the peptide to the intended place of action. In the future, an increase in oral peptides will happen on the market and their use will be more convenient.
Topical Peptides
The future of topical peptide products for skin rejuvenation is promising. Clinical trials are currently in progress to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of peptides for various skin care treatments. It is difficult to be specific about the future of topical peptides because the number of peptides to be formulated in a lab is quite broad, however, with the increasing demand for skin care peptides, the market is seeing a variety of new options every day.
Peptides for Health
Peptide drug development has progressed rapidly thanks to modification and analytic technologies. Peptides have been produced and modified using new design and delivery strategies, gradually overcoming initial drawbacks. Many natural and modified peptides have been studied, covering multiple therapeutic areas.
Peptide drugs and proteins are already being used alongside prescribed therapies, and as scientific advancements continue, we anticipate that their use will become even more prevalent in the future. They are researched on how to fight degenerative diseases with larger peptide dosages and consistent use. While they cannot heal degenerations, peptides are being developed to potentially repair the immune system and stop further disease advances, helping the affected patients lead a more normal life.
After conducting successful research, there will be a way to make a combination of peptide drugs signal the body to clear the toxins previously accumulated. This would alleviate symptoms of inflammation of the immune response, making it stronger and doing wonders for your well-being and longevity.
Eternal youth? Reversal of the aging effect is one of the latest trends in peptide research. As it is known, the number of peptides naturally found in our bodies declines as we age. Peptides that mimic the actions of existing peptides are being developed as we speak to replace them and offer similar benefits, such as restoring the immune system, maintaining skin elasticity and bone density, and keeping us in our prime.
What’s Next?
Around 7000 peptides have been recognized and are just a small fraction of the ones we have never heard about. Researchers believe that the future development of peptide drugs will continue to build upon the strengths of naturally occurring peptides, with the application of traditional rational design to improve their weaknesses, such as their chemical and physical properties.
Therapists will rely on peptides to reduce inflammation and develop biofunctional proteins that mimic the ones we carry in our bodies as a natural way to support the stem cells. This could drastically reduce the hallmarks of aging.
To achieve the best results, companies will invest more in human rather than animal trials to gain newer data on how peptides influence the human body.
Peptide delivery methods have already undergone testing with incredible responses to oral peptides withstanding stomach acidity. More will be done to ease the use of peptides, shifting to topical and oral peptides and making them more user-friendly.
Peptide identification and discovery will help us learn how to use them to regenerate the body more efficiently and get both short and long-term effects. The main focus will be on rejuvenating the immune system combatting the decrease in immune functions by combining peptides and addressing a wider variety of issues with the least side effects and application inconveniences.
As natural peptides have a relatively short circulating plasma half-life, several techniques for half-life extension have been developed. Plenty can still be achieved to extend the plasma half-life of a peptide by means of formulations. We can expect the efficacy of long‐acting formulations to improve and enable smaller quantities of peptide drug products in the body to maintain activity over longer periods. These strategies for extending the half-life will lead to peptides needing to be administered less frequently.
For innovative peptide development, researchers must look beyond traditional peptide technologies. Among the emerging technologies in the field are multifunctional peptides. Current multifunctional peptides in development include antimicrobial peptide drug candidates that could have additional biological functions. These peptides could include a hybrid of two peptides being bound together either directly or via a linker. Advances in peptide synthesis are important, as they will reduce production costs and make peptides even more interesting ingredients.
Regulatory authorities on different continents are looking to harmonize a set of guidelines that define the level of peptide impurities that can be present in peptide products. This will make peptides standardized across the global market and more reliable and available.
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