Cationic Peptides for Treatment of Drug-Resistant Cancer and Infections

Deciphering the therapeutic code of cationic peptides for the treatment of cancer and infections associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria.In the United States, there is an increasing prevalence of drug-resistant cancers and infections, which contributes to relapse after apparent remission. This situation highlights the need for further research and development to counteract this surge. Although current treatments include natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), they pose several challenges for clinical applications, notably lack of in vivo efficacy and potential toxicity to mammalian cells. University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a better option: a new class of cationic peptides that yield dozens of therapeutics in vivo efficacy. The invention transcends the discovery of a particular drug and will result in almost infinite possibilities for enhanced therapeutics.

Description

Peptide studies to date are incremental and tailored to a single best peptide. With this new technology, researchers designed a rational framework for engineering a class of cationic peptides with the property to overcome MDR bacteria-related infections. This means the invention can yield dozens of therapeutics, which display in vivo efficacy. The technology transcends the discovery of a particular drug and encompasses a class of compounds that is iterative.

Applications

Treating cancer and infections associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses

Advantages

· Engineered for multiple therapeutics, current technologies are static and screen only for one application through trial and error.
· Unlike current technologies, fights against pathogens or cancer cells without increased toxicity to healthy cells.
· Allows for the design of drug structures that retain efficacy when administered systemically unlike existing technologies.

Invention Readiness

In vitro data

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240197823A1

Related Publication(s)

Xiang, W., Clemenza, P., Klousnitzer, J., Chen, J., Qin, W., Tristram-Nagle, S., Doi, Y., Di, Y. P., & Deslouches, B. (2022). Rational Framework for the Design of Trp- and Arg-Rich Peptide Antibiotics Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.889791