Peptide nanostrategy - the new direction in molecular endocrinology
In this paper, we discuss peptide nanostrategy - a new direction currently developing in molecular endocrinology. This strategy is based on the synthesis, study, and clinical implementation of relatively short synthetic peptides corresponding to functionally important sites of signaling proteins. The advantages of peptide nanostrategy over the other approaches used in molecular endocrinology are considered. Possible applications of this strategy for solving some urgent problems in fundamental biology and medicine are discussed. The list of these problems includes the creation of highly selective nonhormonal regulators of cell processes addressed to the components of hormonal signaling systems, and the nanodiagnostic of their impairments due to endocrine diseases. Based on our results and literature data, the achievements of peptide nanostrategy are described, and directions of it's further development are outlined.