Peptides. Chemistry and Biology: Proceedings of the American Peptide Symposium (12th) Held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 16-21 June 1991.

From the first and second sessions on peptide hormones and neuropeptides, one can gain an appreciation of the role to be fulfilled by peptide hormone analogs in medicine. There does not seem to be a single bioactive peptide family for which a therapeutic role is not envisioned at this time. Most interesting is the fact that short analogs as well as cyclic analogs, with structures that are often quite dissimilar from that of the parent native hormone, are being considered as potential drugs. Increased potency and duration of action generally result from these structural modifications. In the third session, emphasis is put on ones recognition of the ever-growing role of lipid membranes in modulating biological expression. Refinement of ones understanding of the bioactive conformation of a peptide is paramount for allowing rational design. Only sophisticated techniques such as NMR in different solvent systems, coupled to molecular modeling in different environments, and X-ray crystallography will yield the information needed to gain an appreciation of the bioactive conformation of a peptide.