Potencjalne zastosowanie enkefalin w diagnostyce i terapii różnych chorób

For the past few years enkephalins have been a center of appreciation and interest. Enkephalins were discovered in 1975 by Hughes, Kosterlitz and coworkers [1]. They can be described as short sequences of amino acids that are naturally produced in the central nervous system (CNS) in various glands throughout the body, such as the pituitary and adrenal glands [7, 9]. There were revealed two forms of enkephalins, one containing leucine, and the other containing methionine. Enkephalins are produced by the cleavage of a precursor protein called proenkephalin. From proenkephalin originate Met- and Leu-enkephalin, Met-enkephalin-Arg⁶-Gly⁷- -Leu⁸, Met-enkephalin-Arg⁶-Phe⁷ [1–3]. Enkephalins are involved in phenomena associated with modulated pain perception [13], regulation of memory and emotional conditions [21] and regulation of immunological system [29]. They also have an impact on the cardiovascular system [17], motility of the digestive system and metabolism of carbohydrates [8]. This article is a review of the current knowledge about enkephalins and their usage in the diagnostics and treatment of a variety of diseases: diseases/disorders of the central nervous system [21, 22], Parkinson’s disease [27], disease of the immune system [29], chronic pain [12], tumor diseases/cancer [33], heart and cardiovascular diseases [19] and inflammatory bowel disease [23].