Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a series of cell-penetrating peptides that can be used for targeted drug delivery to the lung.
Description
Administering diagnostic and therapeutic drugs to the lungs presents unique challenges; by design, natural lung defense mechanisms have evolved to prevent inhaled drug particles from entering the lungs, and the immune system is quick to remove them once deposited. Inhaler devices such as those used to treat asthma suffer from low adherence and incorrect usage. Clinicians’ ability to diagnose and treat pulmonary conditions would immensely benefit from a reliable, efficient way to administer drugs directly to lungs. Building on previously synthesized cell-penetrating peptides, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh developed two new peptides that displayed up to five times greater transduction activity compared to its predecessors in vitro. Interestingly, these peptides show robust uptake in lung tissue and epithelial cells lining the alveoli far more than the heart—the expected target—and more than any uptake of the original peptide.
Applications
• Administration of drugs for diagnosis or disease treatment directly to the lungs
• Treatment of pulmonary conditions like COPD, ARDS, emphysema, asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and pneumoconiosis, among others
Advantages
• Bypassing many of the barriers that face traditional inhalants
• Four-to-five times greater transduction abilities compared to original peptide activity
• Robust lung uptake compared to other protein
Invention Readiness
Stage of development: In vitro data show that human bronchial epithelial cells readily take up lung targeting peptides. In vivo data using a chemical mouse model of COPD show the lung-specific distribution. Delivered via injection, these cell-penetrating peptides have demonstrated their capacity to act as vectors for delivery of genes, siRNA, anti-sense oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, nanoparticles, viral particles, and radioisotopes. These novel synthetic peptides present a wealth of new opportunities for drug delivery to the lungs via peripheral injection, sidestepping the mechanical and immunological barriers that have thus far prevented efficient pulmonary drug administration.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220315625A1
