Year: 2026 | Month: January-March | Volume: 11 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 90-100
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20260110
The Peptide Revolution in Autoimmune Disease: Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, and Translational Potential
Snigdha Ranjan1, Shagun Arya2, Mugdha Pradhan3
1M.Sc., Researcher, Thrivetribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited
2M.Sc., Functional Nutritionist, Thrivetribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
3M.Sc., Expert Functional Nutritionist, Thrivetribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
Corresponding Author: Snigdha Ranjan
ABSTRACT
Autoimmune diseases are a class of disorders where the immune system mistakenly attacks one’s own body, causing chronic inflammation, prolonged morbidity, and progressive tissue damage. Immunosuppressive and biologic therapy, although used for disease control, was associated with incomplete efficacy, toxicity, and the risk of infections. The present review has focused on therapeutic peptides as immune modulators in autoimmune diseases and has described their mechanistic actions and the human evidence available.
The scope of the review included peptide-mediated modulation of antigen presentation, T cell differentiation, cytokine signaling, innate immune responses, and tissue repair. Human clinical and translational data were evaluated across multiple autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes. Across these conditions, peptides showed continuous immunologic activity and, in general, good safety profiles in preclinical studies and early-phase clinical trials.
The review, however, concluded that the clinical benefits were still inconsistent and often modest. The majority of the studies were constrained by a limited number of participants, short follow-ups, diverse designs, and mainly relied on immunological or biomarker endpoints rather than sustainability in clinical outcomes as a measure of success. Long-term efficacy, best dosing, and comparative effectiveness were not adequately defined.
Keywords: Therapeutic peptides, immunomodulation, autoimmunity, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus