Therapeutic Potential of Carnosine and Its Derivatives in the Treatment of Human Diseases

Despite significant progress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, their occurrence and mortality are still high around the world. The resistance of cancer cells to the drugs remains a significant problem in oncology today, while in the case of neuro-degenerative diseases, therapies reversing the process are still yet to be found. Furthermore, it is important to seek new chemotherapeutics reversing side effects of currently used drugs or helping them perform their function to inhibit progression of the disease. Carnosine, a dipeptide constisting of β-alanine and l-histidine, has a variety of functions to mention: antioxidant, antiglycation, and reducing the toxicity of metal ions. It has therefore been proposed to act as a therapeutic agent for many pathological states. The aim of this paper was to find if carnosine and its derivatives can be helpful in treating various diseases. Literature search presented in this review includes review and original papers found in SciFinder, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Searches were based on substantial keywords concerning therapeutic usage of carnosine and its derivatives in several diseases including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. In this paper, we review articles and find that carnosine and its derivatives are potential therapeutic agents in many diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and schizophrenia. Carnosine and its derivatives can be used in treating neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, or schizophrenia, although their usage is limited. Therefore, there's an urge to synthesize and analyze new substances, overcoming the limitation of carnosine itself.