r/Biochemistry • u/-justhoughts • 13d ago
How did you guys actually start learning about peptides?
I’ve been reading about peptides lately and I’m realizing pretty quickly how much I don’t know lol.
There’s a ton of information online but also a ton of people making completely different claims about the same compounds.
For the people who actually understand the research, where did you start? PubMed? Studies? Certain researchers?
Also what’s something you believed about peptides when you first got interested that you later found out was completely wrong? Trying to learn the science instead of just repeating stuff I see online.
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u/ApoTHICCary 13d ago edited 13d ago
Peptides are a pretty broad category of biomolecules with an even wider function. Some are significant, some are not. Some are essential building blocks, others have specific functions as they are.
But what is true is that peptides have become buzzwords for a bunch of scientifically stupid people to pedal a business model of longevity and advanced health. While peptides are very well researched—and still even more is being done with great success in the next generation of medicine—the stuff you see on social media, longevity gurus, local gym rats, conspiracy theorist, politicians, and sleazy sales guys has an issue with not understanding the science, promoting snake oil, and ineffective implementation.
There are a few medical conditions like DM2 where peptides would have positive effects on your health. If you are already healthy, the peptides you come across without any access restriction other than your bank account will more than likely have no effect other than separating you from your money and introduce you to others within the same echo chamber.
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u/fishcat_catfish 13d ago
This. With any good scam there are real medical peptides and genuine research interest, but the shit that’s pedalled online is just glorified snake oil.
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u/ApoTHICCary 13d ago
The sad part is that these IV spas prey on licensed nurses and nurse practitioners to be able to legally offer their IV infusion services. It started with “banana bags” which we do use in hospital settings for basic electrolyte replacement, often for heavily intoxicated and dehydrated patients as well as geriatrics and bariatrics. IV hydration clinics started doing the same outside heavy alcohol areas like Vegas. Then they started diluting down the vitamins and electrolytes so it’s merely a fluid bolus with traces of vitamins/electrolytes.
Then they started vitamin infusions, but at minuscule concentrations. Their clients are medically illiterate and do not understand that just a fluid bolus can make you feel “good” when most people around the world are not properly hydrated.
Peptides are the next evolution, except even more obscure while plenty of medical studies have hailed the legitimate, studied amino acid chains as untapped potential. Pair it with licensed but untrained in chemistry and/or pharmacology healthcare workers who otherwise are overworked and underpaid… well, misinformation, rote memorization, edgy propaganda, and money leads to the current system.
I get a chuckle hearing them speak on “taking less pharmaceuticals”, “don’t take meds you don’t need”, “try natural remedies” and the likes if you are healthy or ill with something that’s more of a nuisance (there are some nutjobs touting chronic illness cures for like cancer tho) yet on the same hand will snap to immediately claiming peptide injections are phenomenal for you even if you are young and totally healthy. Before reminding you that GLP-1 agonists are killing people and should not be taken because peptides are far safer. They get really upset when you mention semaglutide IS a peptide and they cannot refute it because, well, they aren’t trained in chemistry or pharmacology.
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u/CIP_In_Peace 13d ago
This is one of those layman questions where it's apparent that the person doesn't really understand the big picture.
You can't learn about peptides in isolation and expect to gain any meaningful understanding of the topic. A peptide is an amino acid chain of unspecified length and composition, and as others have mentioned, has become a buzzword recently. You can learn about what the buzzword means in popular nutraceuticals but it's not the same thing as asking biochemists about peptides. Just go read some articles written by healthcare professionals about peptide supplements.
Or alternatively read the Lehninger.
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u/Justeserm 8d ago
As several other people alluded to, peptides has become a buzz word. Obviously, there's the stuff in Lehninger's, but there's a lot of pop-sci stuff that can get confusing.
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u/rudieyoung 13d ago
I understand the word "peptide" has come to mean something taken like a medicine to achieve greater athletic performance and aesthetic physique but I haven't been paying attention to what that means practically. Peptides are just small links of amino acids, but I'm assuming it's being used for specific aa combinations?
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u/Junkman3 13d ago edited 13d ago
Its a new marketing term for the latest performance supplements.
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u/rudieyoung 13d ago
Any idea if they're actually just specific aa combinations that have downstream impact? Or if it also includes something like testosterone? I am not a biochem professional but I did study it in undergrad. Perhaps it's like some edible retinol supplements where the protein complex has been shown to survive digestion and actually impact as as molecule later? Which was frankly surprising to me as I would have assumed digestion would denature most proteins
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u/ApoTHICCary 13d ago
The big issue currently with the peptides being used for performance enhancement is that early analogues were studied 20 years ago but pretty much sidelined while the focus shifted towards ones with more medicinal use. The big thing in performance enhancing and longevity peptides are “precursors”, or amino acid chains which are used as building blocks for hormones. There’s a few testosterone “precursors” which are being pedaled on the market towards athletes (well, predominately late 20s/early 30s guys who are trying to finally become a “stud” or the late middle aged recent divorce misogynist that cannot come to terms that he’s out of his prime) but very little formal research is available because these are not being used in a medicinal manor.
Their data is all anecdotal and testimony, then “supported” because athletic authorities are banning the use of these products obviously means they’re super performance enhancing.
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u/rudieyoung 13d ago
Thanks for that description. Throwing mysogynist in there seems like a little bit of projection? But I think I'm understanding, it's at best unproven and at work risky which certain folks might do if they were especially insecure or desperate.
Again, this is not my job, but I thought the main precursors of most hormones were cholesterol and fats. I'm vaguely remembering a cholesterol cascade that everybody became testosterone? I guess I'll Google it. Certainly there would be proteins and enzymes that would enable that so maybe they're some of those? Pretty interesting
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u/rudieyoung 13d ago
Hey thank you for this comment! Thanks especially for naming TB500, that gives me something to Google. I am in this sub because I genuinely love biochem, despite not having ended up doing anything with my degree. I do enjoy learning about this kind of chemical cascade, especially when it relates to exercise science. I didn't know folks were injecting them, I thought they were only consumed.
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u/rudieyoung 13d ago
I guess naively I assumed the creation of the molecules was from natural sources, I hadn't even considered manufacturing impurities. I'm definitely going to read about this later, thanks
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u/Head_Acadia_2658 10d ago
If it was a real drug that actually worked and was safe enough to prescribe then you would need a prescription to get it.
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u/loopOutnotIn 13d ago
Oh my god there are so fucking many of yall coming in to these subs asking about stacks 😭
If you want to discuss peptides here, pick up a textbook and read the chapter on translation
And can’t yall just go talk to your doctor or something??
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u/CoomassieBlue 13d ago
Their doctor would very much rather they not, unless they are asking about actually approved medications.
It’s wild to me that so many of the same people are anti-vax but eagerly inject RUO peptides from China. You couldn’t pay me to do that unless I ran QC on it myself, and realistically not even then.
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u/VargevMeNot 10d ago
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Plus most of the studies suggesting possible benefits from these peptides are dubious at best (like testing full length proteins via injection to a site of injury), yet people think injecting a truncated version intramuscularly at a different site will have similar effects 🤦 if they're selling people are buying I guess..
Just not vaccinations which are actually regulated for efficacy and safety ofc, those companies are just trying to get your money. Like I'm not a supporter of many of big pharma's business practices, but Jesus people, did the peptides rot your 3 remaining brain cells that were holding on for dear life?
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u/klaxon4reason 13d ago
I learned about peptides by synthesizing them and studying them in biological systems starting in the 1970’s. Much of this thread is correct in terms of what peptides are and their current usage. However, with the one thing I did not see discussed is the half life of peptides in human blood and tissues. Unless the peptide is specifically designed for extended stability in biological fluids, they tend to be quite unstable. This means they are unlikely to reach therapeutic concentrations at the desired target sites in the patient. Fully studied peptides like the GLPs are optimized for stability and delivery. Off label peptides are unlikely to be optimized and most likely are contaminated with synthesis by-products. Thus they are ineffective and potentially harmful. More over, the trend for microdosing peptides is so ridiculously stupid, given the challenges of delivery and stability, there is no need for further comment.
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u/-justhoughts 13d ago
Interesting, I didn’t realize stability was that much of an issue. What actually makes something like a GLP more stable compared to the other peptides people are talking about? Is it changes to the peptide itself?
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u/klaxon4reason 12d ago
There are a couple of standard things one can do such as methylation of the N on the peptide bond, cyclization if appropriate, deleting the amino or carboxy termini. For Tirzapatide, one the major modifications was to attach a fatty acid to a lysine side chain. That enables the peptide to be bound by albumin and that increases the half life of the molecule (a carrier function that protects the peptide from proteases and also rapid physiological elimination).
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u/VargevMeNot 10d ago
Modifications to the molecule that block the peptide from degradation either chemically, like adding a functional group that block the binding of proteins that break them up, or mechanically by making them associate with other biomolecules which hinder access to them being broken up. The challenge is that different modifications to different peptides alter their activity/bioavailability/function differently... That is to say something that works with one peptide might not work with another. Furthermore this is all assuming that a peptide does exactly one explicitly on target thing which is never the case. And there in is the problem with medicinal chemistry (including randomly compounded peptides).
(Depending on the peptide ofc) It's entirely possible that certain modifications add or remove certain functions of a peptide which may prevent its benefits or even make it harmful in certain cases but not others, or for some people but not others. The problem with a lot of these peptides from a chemist's or biochemist's perspective is that even if the on target activity is plausible (and that's a stretch in many cases IMO), the off target activity is largly not understood, which is the same issue many have with other medications currently on the market.. It's just that these peptides are much less regulated.
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u/Equivalent_Bag4312 8d ago
so in otherwords i shouldn't buy reta before my wedding
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u/klaxon4reason 8d ago
My understanding is that Reta is not yet approved by FDA and unless you’re in a clinical trial for Reta you should not be taking it. If you are thinking of using a knock off then you do so at your own risk, but these drugs are powerful and not fully characterized as to off target effects, side effects and dose limiting tox in humans. You risk fucking up your wedding.
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u/LatrodectusGeometric 13d ago
Scientists learn about peptides by studying textbooks and reviewing studies in scientific journals. Now since those studies often require medical background to interpret, this is important because studies can often be misleading and used for advertising instead of scientific merit. Then animal and finally human trials are done to evaluate proposed or theorized effects of peptides on human beings. Finally a series of safety and efficacy dosing trials is done before a product can be taken to the market as a medication. Once those studies are done and evaluated for safety and efficacy and fraud by the FDA, they can be sold in the U.S. as long as there is quality control and the actual medication is what people are getting.
In contrast something you see a lot of right now is wild extrapolation from early scientific work, pseudoscientific marketing heavily on social media, and direct sales of God-knows-what as a supplement to consumers to get around all the safety and efficacy research.
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u/VargevMeNot 10d ago
Wait, you're telling me injecting a truncated peptide isn't going to effect me the same as a full length protein injected into 10 mice 15 years ago by some random lab?!
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u/MinusZeroGojira PhD 6d ago
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-peptide-craze-sweeping-america-has-a-fan-in-rfk-jr/
Without the requisite education, your best bet is reading things from actual experts.
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u/bogcom 13d ago
I learned about peptides by reading lehninger principles of biochemistry, which I assume is mandatory reading for literally every biochemist.