Peptides

Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of medicinal leeches (such as Hirudo medicinalis) that has a blood anticoagulant property.

Dynorphins (Dyn) are a class of opioid peptides that arise from the precursor protein prodynorphin.

Semax is a drug produced and prescribed mostly in Russia and Ukraine for a broad range of conditions but predominantly for its purported nootropic, neuroprotective, and neurogenic/neurorestorative properties.

Cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4, Trp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2) is a peptide fragment derived from the larger peptide hormone cholecystokinin.

Tetracosactide (INN) (brand names Synacthen, Cortrosyn), also known as tetracosactrin (BAN) and cosyntropin (USAN), and the acetate ester, tetracosactide acetate (JAN) (brand names Cortrosina, Cortrosyn, Nuvacthen, Synacthen), also known as tetracosactrin acetate (BANM), is a synthetic peptide and analogue of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) which is used clinically as a diagnostic agent.

Growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) (developmental code name SKF-110679), also known as growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide, is one of several synthetic met-enkephalin analogues that include unnatural D-amino acids, were developed for their growth hormone-releasing activity and are called growth hormone secretagogues.

Glutathione (GSH) is an important antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea.

Diamphotoxin is a toxin produced by larvae and pupae of the beetle genus Diamphidia.

Arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) is a tripeptide composed of L-arginine, glycine, and L-aspartic acid.

Tachykinin peptides are one of the largest families of neuropeptides, found from amphibians to mammals.

Endothelins are peptides that constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

MG132 is a specific, potent, reversible, and cell-permeable proteasome inhibitor (Ki = 4 nM).

Melittin is the principal active component of apitoxin (bee venom) and is a powerful stimulator of phospholipase A2.

A desmosine cross-link is formed from three allysyl side chains plus one unaltered lysyl side chain from the same or neighbouring polypeptides.

Teduglutide (brand names Gattex in the US and Revestive in Europe) is a 33-membered polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analog that is used for the treatment of short bowel syndrome.

Tentoxin is a natural cyclic tetrapeptide produced by phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata.

Trypanothione (Mr = 721.86 g/mol) is an unusual form of glutathione containing two molecules of glutathione joined by a spermidine (polyamine) linker.

Tynorphin is a synthetic opioid peptide which is a potent and competitive inhibitor of the enkephalinase class of enzymes which break down the endogenous enkephalin peptides.

Acetyl hexapeptide-3 or acetyl hexapeptide-8 (sources differ) is a synthetic anti-wrinkle cosmetics ingredient.

Netropsin (also termed congocidine or sinanomycin) is a polyamide with antibiotic and antiviral activity.

Muscarinic toxin 2 (MT2) is one member of a family of small peptides of 65 amino acid residues of around 7076 daltons in molecular weight derived from the venom of African mamba snakes (Dendroaspis angusticeps), which target the different muscarinic receptor subtypes.

The N-terminal peptide/fragment of proopiomelanocortin (NPP; N-POMC), also known as pro-γ-MSH, is a naturally-occurring, endogenous metabolite of the polypeptide proopiomelanocortin (POMC).

Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 before 2006) is a matrikine used in anti-wrinkle cosmetics.

Ornipressin is a vasoconstrictor, haemostatic and renal agent.

Terlipressin (trade names Teripress by New Medicon Pharma and Glypressin by Ferring Pharmaceuticals) is an analogue of vasopressin used as a vasoactive drug in the management of low blood pressure.

Alisporivir (INN), or Debio 025, DEB025, (or UNIL-025) is a cyclophilin inhibitor.

Alsactide (INN) (brand name Synchrodyn 1-17 or simply Synchrodyn, former development code name Hoechst 433), also known as alisactide, is a synthetic peptide and analogue of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which is used in Italy as a diagnostic agent in kidney function for adrenal insufficiency.

Amaninamide is a cyclic nonribosomal peptide.

Aviptadil (INN) is an analog of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

There are very few loops registered in Brix, so to address this issue, Loop Brix was added to the system to help structure non-regular elements.

Pepstatin is a potent inhibitor of aspartyl proteases.

Somatorelin is a diagnostic agent for determining growth hormone deficiency.

Somatrem is an analogue of growth hormone (GH).

Cilengitide (EMD 121974) is a molecule designed and synthesized at the Technical University Munich in collaboration with Merck KGaA in Darmstadt.

Bottromycin is a macrocyclic peptide with antibiotic activity.

Urotensin-II (U-II) is a peptide ligand that is the strongest known vasoconstrictor.

Bisin is a naturally occurring lantibiotic (an antibacterial peptide) discovered by University of Minnesota microbiologist Dan O'Sullivan.

Bivalirudin (Angiomax or Angiox, manufactured by The Medicines Company) is a specific and reversible direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI).

Felypressin is a non-catecholamine vasoconstrictor that is chemically related to vasopressin, the posterior pituitary hormone.

Rapastinel (INN) (former developmental code names GLYX-13, BV-102) is a novel antidepressant that is under development by Allergan (previously Naurex) as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.

Kassinin is a peptide derived from the Kassina frog.

Emodepside is an anthelmintic drug that is effective against a number of gastrointestinal nematodes, is licensed for use in cats and belongs to the class of drugs known as the octadepsipeptides, a relatively new class of anthelmintic (research into these compounds began in the early 1990s), which are suspected to achieve their anti-parasitic effect by a novel mechanism of action due to their ability to kill nematodes resistant to other anthelmintics.

Setmelanotide (INN, USAN) (code name RM-493, formerly BIM-22493, IRC-022493) is a peptide drug and investigational anti-obesity medication which acts as a selective agonist of the MC4 receptor.

Pralmorelin (INN) (brand name GHRP Kaken 100; former developmental code names KP-102, GPA-748, WAY-GPA-748), also known as pralmorelin hydrochloride (JAN) and pralmorelin dihydrochloride (USAN), as well as, notably, growth hormone-releasing peptide 2 (GHRP-2), is a growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) used as a diagnostic agent that is marketed by Kaken Pharmaceutical in Japan in a single-dose formulation for the assessment of growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Amastatin, also known as 3-amino-2-hydroxy-5-methylhexanoyl-L-valyl-L-valyl-L-aspartic acid, is a naturally occurring, competitive and reversible aminopeptidase inhibitor that was isolated from Streptomyces sp.

Etelcalcetide is a D-amino peptide calcimimetic undergoing clinical evaluation for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis.

Agouti-related protein (AgRP), also called agouti-related peptide, is a neuropeptide produced in the brain by the AgRP/NPY neuron.

Ziconotide (SNX-111; Prialt) is an atypical analgesic agent for the amelioration of severe and chronic pain.

Saralasin is a partial agonist of angiotensin II receptors, though it is commonly mistaken as a competitive antagonist.

Afamelanotide (/ˌæfəmɛˈlænoʊtaɪd/ (INN) (brand name Scenesse), also known as melanotan I (or melanotan-1), originally developed at the University of Arizona and now by Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals, is a synthetic peptide and analogue of the naturally occurring melanocortin peptide hormone α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) that has been shown to induce the production of darkening dermal pigmentation through melanogenesis and thereby subsequently reduce sun (UV) damage to UV light-exposed skin in preliminary research and human clinical trials. Its amino acid sequence is Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Nle-Glu-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2, and it is additionally known as [Nle4,D-Phe7]-α-MSH, which is sometimes abbreviated as NDP-MSH or NDP-α-MSH (especially in the scientific literature).

Tuftsin is a tetrapeptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) produced by enzymatic cleavage of the Fc-domain of the heavy chain of immunoglobulin G.

Bremelanotide (/ˌbrɛmᵻˈlænətaɪd/) INN, USAN), formerly known as PT-141, is a peptide drug which has been under development by Palatin Technologies as a treatment for female sexual dysfunction (FSD), hemorrhagic shock, and reperfusion injury.

Promanullin is a cyclic nonribosomal peptide.

Pyoverdines (alternatively, and less commonly, spelled as pyoverdins) are fluorescent siderophores produced by certain pseudomonads.

Pyroglutamyl-histidyl-glycine is an anorectic.

Carfilzomib (marketed under the trade name Kyprolis, developed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals) is an anti-cancer drug acting as a selective proteasome inhibitor.

Plantazolicin (PZN) is a natural antibiotic produced by the gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42.

Thymulin (also known as Thymic Factor or under its old name Facteur Thymique Serique) is a nonapeptide produced by two distinct epithelial populations in the thymus first described by Bach in 1977.

Lipo-oxytocin-1 (LOT-1) is a synthetic peptide and analogue of oxytocin that acts as an agonist of the oxytocin receptor.

Biphalin is a dimeric enkephalin endogenous peptide (Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-NH)2 composed of two tetrapeptides derived from enkephalins, connected 'tail-to-tail' by a hydrazide bridge.

Desmopressin (trade names: DDAVP, others) is a synthetic replacement for vasopressin, the hormone that reduces urine production.

Pasireotide (SOM230, trade name Signifor) is an orphan drug approved in the United States and Europe for the treatment of Cushing's disease in patients who fail or are ineligible for surgical therapy.

Vapreotide (Sanvar) is a synthetic somatostatin analog.

Mecasermin (INN) (trade name Increlex) is recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), which is used for the long-term treatment of growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency.

Melanocyte-inhibiting factor (also known as Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2, Melanostatin, MSH release–inhibiting hormone or MIF-1) is an endogenous peptide fragment derived from cleavage of the hormone oxytocin, but having generally different actions in the body.

NIM811 is a mitochondrial permeability transition inhibitor.

Nesiritide (Natrecor) is the recombinant form of the 32 amino acid human B-type natriuretic peptide, which is normally produced by the ventricular myocardium.

The neurohypophysial hormones form a family of structurally and functionally related peptide hormones.

Rotigaptide (ZP-123) is a drug currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias – specifically atrial fibrillation.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic 19-amino acid orexigenic hypothalamic peptide originally isolated from the pituitary gland of teleost fish where it controls skin pigmentation.

Atosiban (trade names Tractocile, Antocin, Atosiban SUN) is an inhibitor of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin.

Alitame is an aspartic acid-containing dipeptide sweetener.

Ceruletide (INN), also known as cerulein or caerulein, is a ten amino acid oligopeptide that stimulates smooth muscle and increases digestive secretions.

Lixisenatide (trade name Lyxumia in the Europe and Adlyxin in the U.S.) is a once-daily injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of diabetes type II.

Antipain is an oligopeptide isolated from actinomycetes and used in biochemical research as a protease inhibitor, reported in 1972 as the first natural peptide containing a ureylene group.

Carbetocin (INN, BAN) (brand names Duratocin, Pabal, Lonactene, Depotocin, Comoton, Decomoton), or 1-butanoic acid-2-(O-methy-L-tyrosine)-1-carbaoxytocin, is an oxytocic used in obstetrics to control postpartum hemorrhage and bleeding after giving birth, particularly following Cesarean section.

N-Formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) or N-formyl-met-leu-phe) is a N-formylated tripeptide and sometimes simply referred to as chemotactic peptide is a potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotactic factor and is also a macrophage activator.

Copper peptide GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper complex of a glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine peptide.

Echinocandin B, a lipopeptide, is a naturally occurring cyclic hexapeptide with a linoleoyl side chain.