Sometimes science doesn’t make it easy for people that are not in the field to understand research and new developments. This is often true in the naming of new products and development. In the relatively new field of developing synthetic or analog peptides that mimic the body’s natural peptides, this is certainly the case. Melanotan l, and the subsequent Melanotan ll, are good examples of this.
Just by the names alone one could assume that Melanotan l was developed first, and this is a correct assumption. Melanotan l was developed at the University of Arizona, as was Melanotan ll, but that is really where most of the close similarities stop.
The First Steps
This peptide was developed as a way to boost or stimulate the natural products of dark brown pigment in the skin to protect from the harmful UV rays of the sun. This is accomplished in animal skin upon exposure to UV rays naturally, which is why any type of mammal or animal skin exposed to the sun will tan with a bit of exposure. Burns, the harmful effects of too much sun, are a result of the lack of speed and intensity of the naturally occurring melanin in skin.
From this research Melanotan l evolved. It was designed to be very much like the naturally occurring peptide. The researchers had originally thought that providing higher levels of the hormone that stimulated natural production would work, but it was too short acting in the body to be effective. This is where the synthetic peptide, Melanotan l, came into the picture.
The Positive Results
What researchers found was that by developing a synthetic version of the natural peptide they could extend the effects of the pigmentation at a cellular level. In addition there were other effects noted in the lab. These included increased lipid metabolism in the body, leading to a decrease in fatty tissue deposits. At the same time lab animals displayed lower appetite and increased reproductive capabilities.
Research continues into the use of Melanotan l in a range of different applications and studies. You may also see this peptide reported as Afamelanotide, and studies are ongoing in various labs around the world to fully understand its effects. Get in touch MelanotanUS with for more information.
