Peptide Fundamentals

Obesity has become a globally prevalent chronic disease, affecting approximately 650 million adults worldwide. It is closely associated with various complications, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. A weight reduction of 5% or more can improve these associated health risks. While lifestyle intervention forms the cornerstone of obesity treatment, its weight loss effects are often limited and prone to rebound. Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) have therefore emerged as an important adjunctive treatment. Semaglutide, a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, was approved by the US FDA in 2021 for chronic weight management. With its significant weight loss efficacy and cardiovascular protective properties, it represents a major breakthrough in obesity treatment. This article provides a systematic review of the mechanism of action, weight loss and cardiometabolic efficacy, and safety profile of semaglutide 2.4 mg/week for obesity treatment. By analyzing key clinical trials (the STEP program), it evaluates its clinical application value and future directions, offering a comprehensive reference for the pharmacotherapy of this chronic disease.

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, is widely used for its significant efficacy in treating type 2 diabetes and promoting weight loss, and is even prescribed off-label for weight management in non-diabetic individuals. However, with its surging usage (e.g., in the US, the number of users increased from 569 in 2019 to 22,891 in 2022), aesthetic-related side effects such as "Ozempic face" have garnered increasing attention. This article focuses on the facial and dermatological aesthetic issues induced by semaglutide, their underlying causes, and corresponding management and repair strategies, providing a reference for clinical consultation and users.

In the field of biopharmaceuticals, protein and peptide drugs (PPs) hold a pivotal position in treating various diseases such as diabetes and osteoporosis, owing to their well-defined mechanisms of action, high selectivity, and low side effects. However, the traditional parenteral injection route not only causes pain and inconvenience to patients but may also lead to adverse reactions like subcutaneous nodules and infections, significantly impacting medication adherence. The oral route, as the most convenient and patient-preferred non-invasive administration method, can mimic the natural secretion process of proteins to potentially reduce side effects. Nevertheless, the complex physiological environment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract presents multiple formidable barriers, resulting in extremely low oral bioavailability for PPs, which constitutes a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. This article provides a systematic analysis centered on the core obstacles, breakthrough strategies, current clinical application status, existing challenges, and future directions for oral PPs delivery, offering a clear framework for research and development in this field.

Today, we are sharing a review article published in Nature Reviews Microbiology, co-authored by Nelson G. Oliveira Junior et al., which systematically summarizes the research progress on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), with a focus on their potential as novel therapeutics to address the global antibiotic resistance crisis. The article highlights that AMPs, owing to their structural diversity, multi-mechanistic actions, and eco-friendly properties (e.g., biodegradability), represent promising alternatives. However, clinical translation still faces challenges such as stability issues, reduced in vivo activity, toxicity, and bacterial resistance. The review comprehensively covers the widespread occurrence of AMPs, their structural classification, mechanisms of action, and bacterial resistance mechanisms. It further discusses optimization strategies through computational design and chemical modifications, and finally outlines translational prospects in human and animal health, emphasizing the role of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in accelerating AMP discovery. The following analysis will delve into key aspects: structure, mechanisms, resistance, design strategies, and applications.

This article series provides a systematic overview of commonly used peptide ingredients from both developmental and applied perspectives. For each peptide, we will examine the following key aspects:Chemical Profile & Structure, Mechanism of Action ,

Usage and Efficacy, Synthesis Route. Through this series, we aim to build a practical and authoritative knowledge base for cosmetic peptide ingredients, supporting more targeted and innovative formulation strategies.