title: Carnosine and Related Peptides: Therapeutic Potential in Age-Related Disorders.
abstract: Imidazole dipeptides (ID), such as carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine), are compounds widely distributed in excitable tissues of vertebrates. ID are also endowed of several biochemical properties in biological tissues, including antioxidant, bivalent metal ion chelating, proton buffering, and carbonyl scavenger activities. Furthermore, remarkable biological effects have been assigned to such compounds in age-related human disorders and in patients whose activity of serum carnosinase is deficient or undetectable. Nevertheless, the precise biological role of ID is still to be unraveled. In the present review we shall discuss some evidences from clinical and basic studies for the utilization of ID as a drug therapy for age-related human disorders.
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratório de Erros Inatos do Metabolismo, Programa de Pós-Graduaçãoem Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: José H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cararo
authors.affiliation: 2 Laboratório de Bioenergética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilio L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Streck
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratório de Erros Inatos do Metabolismo, Programa de Pós-Graduaçãoem Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Schuck
authors.affiliation: 3 Laboratório de Bioenergética, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo da C
authors.initials: Gda C
authors.lastname: Ferreira
keywords: aging; biological activity; children; imidazole dipeptides; serum carnosinase deficiency