Glossary Terms

A molecule that binds to a receptor and blocks it — preventing the receptor from being activated by anything else.An

The growth of new blood vessels from existing ones — essential for wound healing, but also the process tumors exploit

The active growth phase of a hair follicle — the phase during which your hair is actually getting longer.Anagen duration

Sticky, misfolded protein aggregates that accumulate in tissue and are associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s.Some neuroprotective peptides (humanin, NAP/ADNP) have

The individual building blocks that peptides and proteins are assembled from — like letters in an alphabet that spell out

A molecule that binds to a receptor and turns it on.A full agonist produces the maximum possible response at that

A condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol — resulting in fatigue, low blood pressure, and sometimes visible

In immunology, something added to a vaccine or immune treatment to make the immune response stronger.Thymosin alpha-1 has been studied

The process by which stem cells become fat cells.Precursor cells (pre-adipocytes) differentiate into mature adipocytes through a regulated program involving

An enzyme inside cells that gets switched on when certain peptide hormones bind to the cell surface, triggering a chain