Peptides 101

01What a peptide is

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. By convention the term covers chains of about 2 to 50 amino acids; longer chains that fold into stable structures are called proteins. The boundary is a convention, not a law of nature: insulin, at 51 amino acids in two chains, is described as both.

Many peptides act as chemical messengers. They fit a receptor on a cell surface the way a key fits a lock, and the receptor passes a signal into the cell. Insulin and oxytocin are familiar natural examples. Because the sequence determines the shape and the shape determines which receptor is recognised, changing a single amino acid can change what a peptide does or how long it lasts.

Research peptides fall into a few broad groups:

• Native sequences: copies of peptides found in the body, made synthetically.
• Analogues: sequences modified to bind more selectively, resist breakdown, or activate more than one receptor.
• Fragments: a section of a larger protein studied on its own.
• Blends: two or more compounds supplied in one vial for studying them in combination.

Not everything in the catalogue is a peptide. It also lists small molecules, vitamins, and the diluents and reagents used alongside peptides in the laboratory. Each profile states the pharmacology class under the name.

02How research progresses

Work on a compound usually starts in cell culture, moves to animal models, and only then to human trials in three phases, followed by regulatory review. Each step answers a different question, and most compounds stop somewhere along the way.

1. 1

   In vitro

   Cells, tissues or isolated receptors in a dish or plate. Shows whether a compound binds a target and what it does to a cell. Fast and controlled, but far from a whole organism.

2. 2

   Preclinical

   Animal models, most often rodents. Shows how a compound behaves in a living system: distribution, duration, effects on a disease model. Species differences limit what can be inferred.

3. 3

   Phase 1

   First studies in a small number of people. The questions are tolerability and how the body handles the compound, not whether it works.

4. 4

   Phase 2

   Up to a few hundred participants. Tests whether there is an effect on the condition of interest and explores dose.

5. 5

   Phase 3

   Hundreds to thousands of participants, usually randomised and controlled. The evidence regulators rely on.

6. 6

   Regulatory review

   An agency examines the full data package and decides on approval for a specific use. Most compounds never reach this point.

Compounds in this catalogue sit at very different points on that path. Some are approved medicines in certain countries for specific uses. Some have been tested in people but are not approved anywhere. Many have only been studied in animals or cells. The status line on each profile states where a compound stands, and approval of a medicine elsewhere does not change the fact that the material supplied here is for laboratory research only.

03Why study type matters

A result in mice or cells often does not carry over to people. Doses, metabolism and receptor biology differ between species, and a cell in a dish has no liver, no immune system and no blood-brain barrier. This is why every reported finding on a profile carries a tag naming the kind of study behind it.

When you weigh a finding, a few questions help:

• What was studied? Cells, rodents, larger animals, or people.
• How many? A trial in 2,000 participants supports firmer conclusions than a study in 12.
• Was there a control? Randomised, placebo-controlled designs separate the effect of a compound from chance and expectation.
• Who reported it? A peer-reviewed paper, a company announcement and a registry listing are not equivalent. Topline company results are often published before full data are available.
• Has it been repeated? Single studies, and several studies from one research group, deserve extra caution.

Tags you will see include cell culture rodent phase 2 trial meta-analysis and literature check. The last one marks a statement about what was not found, for example that no published study of a specific blend was identified.

04How to read an evidence badge

Each compound has one of four evidence levels. The badge summarises where the published data comes from. It does not grade the compound, and it says nothing about any product or batch.

Human data

Published human clinical data exists, from trials or approved use.

Preclinical

Evidence comes mainly from animal or other preclinical models.

In vitro / limited

Evidence is mostly cell-based, cosmetic-ingredient data, or otherwise limited.

Little public data

Little or no public data, or the exact identity is still being confirmed.

Three points to keep in mind:

• Human data is not the same as approval. A compound can have published trials and still be investigational. Read the status line.
• Blends are rated as blends. The rating covers the combination itself. Two well-studied components can form a blend with little or no published data of its own.
• The badge is a starting point. The reported findings below it, with their study-type tags, show what the rating rests on.

You can filter the catalogue by evidence level.

05Handling and storage of lyophilised peptides

Most research peptides are supplied lyophilised: freeze-dried to a powder or cake in a sealed vial. Removing water slows the chemical reactions that degrade a peptide, which is why the dry form is the usual format for transport and storage. What follows is general laboratory practice. The documentation supplied with a specific compound takes precedence.

• Keep it cold, dry and dark. Heat, moisture and light are the main causes of degradation. Sealed lyophilised material is normally kept refrigerated or frozen, away from light.
• Let a cold vial reach room temperature before opening it. Opening a cold vial draws in moist air, and condensation shortens the life of the remaining material.
• Treat solutions as short-lived. Once a peptide is in solution it is far less stable than the dry form. Laboratories commonly divide a solution into single-use aliquots so that the stock is not repeatedly frozen and thawed.
• Match the solvent to the peptide. Solubility depends on the sequence. Check the supplied documentation or the literature for the compound before choosing a solvent or buffer.
• Work cleanly. Use sterile technique and suitable laboratory diluents where an experiment requires it, and avoid vigorous shaking, which can cause some peptides to aggregate.
• Record what you have. Note the lot number, the date a vial was opened and the date a solution was prepared, so that results can be traced to the material used.
• Follow your institution's safety rules. Wear appropriate protective equipment, handle powders so that they are not inhaled, and dispose of material according to local regulations.

The catalogue lists diluents and reagents used in laboratory work alongside the compounds.

06What research use only means

Novatide supplies these compounds for in-vitro laboratory investigation. They are not medicines, supplements or cosmetics, and they are not for human or veterinary use. That applies to every item in the catalogue, including compounds that are approved medicines elsewhere in a different, regulated form.

Nothing on this site is medical advice, and no profile describes how to use a compound on a person or an animal. The full statement is in the research-use policy.

07Frequently asked questions

Can I order from this website?

No. The site is a catalogue. You build an inquiry list with compounds, sizes and quantities, and the sales team replies with a quotation.

Why are no prices shown?

Supply is by inquiry and quotation. The quotation you receive covers the compounds, sizes and quantities in your inquiry.

Does an evidence badge say anything about product quality?

No. The badge describes the published research on a compound: whether data comes from people, animals or cells, or whether little is public. It is not a statement about any product or batch.

What is a research blend?

Two or more compounds supplied together in one vial. The composition is listed on the profile. The evidence badge on a blend covers the combination itself, which usually has far less published data than its components.

Which sizes are available?

Each profile lists its sizes and how they are packed. Most compounds are packed as kits of several vials; the pack is shown next to each size.

Can these compounds be used on people or animals?

No. They are supplied for in-vitro laboratory research only and are not medicines, supplements or cosmetics. See the research-use policy.

Is the information here medical advice?

No. Profiles summarise published research for research buyers. Questions about health belong with a qualified clinician.