Victor J. Hruby Symposium 2026: Half a Century of Peptide Chemistry, Biology, and Drug Design

This Research Topic is published in tribute to the remarkable researcher, Victor J. Hruby, in association with the Victor J. Hruby Symposium, 21-22 May 2026 | University of Arizona, Tucson, US. You can browse all accepted abstracts from this event here.Victor J. Hruby, Regents' Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona and founding President of the American Peptide Society, has been at the forefront of peptide chemistry, biology, and drug design for more than half a century. His career spans over a thousand publications and pioneering advances in receptor-specific agonists and antagonists, particularly targeting melanocortin receptors MC1R and MC4R. His development of the delta-opioid selective agonist DPDPE provided a very important tool for the exploration of opioid pathways, and his development of Chi Space has numerous applications to a host of peptides for a variety of purposes.Victor’s pioneering research in peptide science continues to inspire current and future generations of researchers. His achievements in peptide design, chemistry, biophysics, biochemistry, and pharmacology enabled translational research and drug development with a worldwide impact.As part of this Research Topic, we welcome the following article types that pertain to the topics discussed at the Hruby Symposium:• Original Research• Methods• Reviews• Clinical Trial• Mini Review• Perspective• General Commentary• OpinionTopic Editor Tomi Sawyer is the Founding Chief Drug Hunter & President of Maestro Therapeutics, and Founder of the Peptide Drug Hunting Consortium. Topic editors: Robin Polt, Tomi Sawyer, David Craik Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80383/victor-j-hruby-symposium-2026-half-a-century-of-peptide-chemistry-biology-and-drug-design