#Peptides

In a landscape flooded with bold claims about hormones, “peptide therapies,” and intravenous vitamins, the latest research remains cautious. Headlines promise dramatic improvements in energy, strength, aging, and mood. Yet mounting reviews and clinical guidelines emphasize that benefits are often limited to specific medical conditions, while risks and costs can be real. For Thai families facing decision points about health, aging, and wellness, the question is not just what works in theory, but what works safely and reliably in everyday life.

New laboratory work shows neuropeptides — long neglected in favour of fast neurotransmitters — can act as primary messengers in distinct brain circuits for panic and fear, offering new drug and therapy targets for trauma-related disorders such as PTSD. Recent studies using novel genetically encoded sensors and circuit-specific manipulations identify a PACAP-driven panic pathway in the brainstem and peptide-dominated signalling in threat-learning circuits, while separate research implicates endocannabinoid action in stress-driven generalisation of fear memories. These advances explain why panic, conditioned fear and memory generalisation can behave differently, and point to concrete directions for Thai mental-health policy, clinical practice and research investment. ( Chemistry World feature: The chemistry of fear )