Human Biochemistry, Volume 1 - Murray R. 1993

Structure and Functions of Proteins and Enzymes
Peptides
Biomedical Significance

Peptides are of immense Biomedical Significance, playing a particularly vital role in endocrinology. Many crucial human Hormones are peptides, and they are frequently prescribed to patients to correct corresponding deficiencies. The most well-known example is the administration of Insulin to individuals with Diabetes Mellitus. Various Antibiotics (such as valinomycin and gramicidin A) and certain antitumor drugs (for instance, bleomycin) are also peptides. Recent advances in rapid chemical Peptide Synthesis have enabled The production of Peptide Hormones in substantial quantities. This has resolved many challenges, as these hormones naturally occur in animal organisms in extremely low concentrations, making them difficult to isolate in amounts sufficient for therapeutic purposes. The same technology is employed to synthesize other peptides that are likewise difficult to isolate from natural sources due to their low Abundance; notably, this applies to viral peptides used as Vaccines.



Last update: 06/08/2026

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