KISSPEPTINS: NEW FAMILY OF REGULATORY PEPTIDES: ROLE IN MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF HUMAN PATHOLOGY
The paper is devoted to the history of the discovery of a new class of signaling molecules – kisspeptins and analysis of current ideas on
their biological role. KISS1 gene was first described in 1996 as a gene which prevents metastasis of tumor cells. In the following 15 years of
the active study kisspeptins and their receptors (KISS1R) have been shown to play the key role in the triggering of puberty and regulation
of processes in the human reproductive system. Numerous recent studies have established the relationship between kisspeptins and other
physiological processes, such as, for example, the secretion of insulin, vasoconstriction, and nutritional status. The paper also highlights the
possible involvement of kisspeptins in the pathogenesis of certain diseases.
Keywords:
kisspeptins, signaling molecules, regulation of homeostasis, puberty, infertility, trophoblast invasion, metastasis