title: Carnosine, a protective, anti-ageing peptide?
abstract: Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) has protective functions additional to anti-oxidant and free-radical scavenging roles. It extends cultured human fibroblast life-span, kills transformed cells, protects cells against aldehydes and an amyloid peptide fragment and inhibits, in vitro, protein glycation (formation of cross-links, carbonyl groups and AGEs) and DNA/protein cross-linking. Carnosine is an aldehyde scavenger, a likely lipofuscin (age pigment) precursor and possible modulator of diabetic complications, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Biophysics Group, King's College London, Strand, UK.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hipkiss
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002336:Carnosine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D002336:Carnosine