How they work

Mechanisms.

The pathways peptides act through, and which compounds use each.

GLP-1 receptor agonism

Activating the GLP-1 receptor to enhance insulin release, slow gastric emptying, and reduce appetite.

7 compounds

GIP receptor agonism

Activating the GIP receptor, a second incretin pathway, usually combined with GLP-1 activity.

2 compounds

Glucagon receptor agonism

Engaging the glucagon receptor to raise energy expenditure and mobilise liver fat.

3 compounds

Amylin receptor agonism

Activating amylin and calcitonin-family receptors to promote meal-ending satiation.

2 compounds

GHRH signalling

Stimulating the pituitary's GHRH receptor to release the body's own growth hormone.

5 compounds

Ghrelin-receptor agonism

Acting on the ghrelin / GH-secretagogue receptor, a pathway separate from GHRH.

5 compounds

IGF-1 pathway

Downstream growth signalling through the IGF-1 receptor and its splice variants.

4 compounds

Adipose tissue and lipolysis signalling

Acting directly on fat tissue to increase fat breakdown or reduce its blood supply.

4 compounds

Senescence and cellular ageing pathways

Targeting senescent cells, telomere maintenance, and NAD+ availability.

3 compounds

Melanocortin receptor activation

Engaging melanocortin receptors, relevant to pigmentation, sexual arousal, and inflammation.

4 compounds

Copper-peptide signalling

Copper-binding peptides studied in skin, wound, and collagen biology.

1 compounds

Angiogenesis and tissue repair

Promoting new blood-vessel formation, cell migration, and repair signalling.

3 compounds

Immune and inflammatory modulation

Shifting immune-cell behaviour and cytokine balance rather than simply stimulating immunity.

4 compounds

Antimicrobial membrane activity

Host-defense peptides that disrupt microbial membranes and steer immune responses.

1 compounds

GnRH and gonadotropin signalling

Driving the pituitary and gonadal end of the reproductive hormone axis.

3 compounds

Kisspeptin signalling

Upstream neuronal control of GnRH release and reproductive-hormone pulsatility.

1 compounds

Mitochondrial peptide signalling

Mitochondria-derived and mitochondria-targeted peptides in metabolism and stress responses.

3 compounds

Redox balance and glutathione metabolism

Handling reactive oxygen species, detoxification conjugation, and cellular redox state.

2 compounds

Neurotrophic factor signalling

Raising growth factors that support neuronal survival, synapse formation, and plasticity.

6 compounds

Central neuromodulation

Peptides that tune monoamine, GABA, opioid, ion-channel, and social-behaviour circuits.

6 compounds

Myostatin and activin receptor inhibition

Removing the biological brake that limits skeletal muscle growth.

2 compounds

Relaxin receptor signalling and anti-fibrotic effects

Biased activation of RXFP1 to promote matrix breakdown and vascular protection.

1 compounds

Tight-junction and intestinal barrier regulation

Controlling how much passes between intestinal cells rather than through them.

1 compounds

SNARE complex and neurotransmitter release

Interfering with the vesicle-fusion machinery that releases acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction.

2 compounds

Extracellular matrix and glycosaminoglycan signalling

Signalling that builds, protects, or remodels the structural scaffold around cells.

3 compounds

Wnt and beta-catenin signalling

Releasing a brake on the pathway that drives hair-follicle cycling and epithelial regeneration.

1 compounds

Peptide bioregulators and proposed gene modulation

Short peptides hypothesized to enter cells and influence tissue-specific gene expression.

4 compounds

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Compounds