[Prospects for designing medicines based on carnosine (several new applications)]

The perspectives in application of carnosine, its analogs (histidine-containing dipeptides), and their derivatives as components of medicinal drugs are reviewed. These applications are based on antioxidative properties of carnosine and its analogs, their chelating activity towards transient valency metals as well as on their specific neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Combination of carnosine with other antioxidants and the use of copper or zinc complexes with histidine-containing dipeptides are considered as perspective trends in the design of new drugs.