Proteins and peptides: The need to improve them as promising therapeutics for ulcerative colitis

Abstract

The present review briefly describes the nature, type and pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis, and explores the potential use of peptides and proteins in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis. Intestinal absorption and the barrier mechanism of peptide and protein drugs are also discussed, with special emphasis on various strategies which make these drugs better therapeutics having high specificity, potency and molecular targeting ability. However, the limitation of such therapeutics are oral administration, poor pharmacokinetic profile and decreased bioavailability. The recent findings illustrated in this review will be helpful in designing the peptide/protein drugs as a promising treatment of choice for ulcerative colitis.

Keywords::

• inflammatory bowel disease
• therapeutic proteins
• therapeutic peptides
• ulcerative colitis

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Head of the Department, SLT Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for providing necessary facilities and guidance. One of the authors, Mr Kantrol Kumar Sahu, is thankful to GGV for providing financial assistance in the form of a fellowship.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.