Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Next Generation of Shuttle Peptides to Target the Brain

By Institute for Research in Biomedicine | August 26, 2016

Shuttle peptides are molecules that have the capacity to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier and thus treat diseases affecting the central nervous system Credit: IRB Barcelona

IRB Barcelona scientists Benjamí Oller, Macarena Sánchez, Ernest Giralt, and Meritxell Teixidó, all from the Peptides and Proteins Lab of the Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Programme, have written a review on the emerging field of shuttle peptides — molecules that have the capacity to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier and thus treat diseases affecting the central nervous system. The article will be featured on the cover of September’s issue of Chemical Society Reviews, which has an impact factor of 33.

Ten years ago, IRB Barcelona group leader Ernest Giralt started work on peptide shuttles to overcome the blood-brain barrier — a line of research that Dr. Meritxell Teixidó is now in charge of. In this regard, they are one of the few expert groups worldwide in this field, which brings together chemistry, pharmacy and biomedicine. In this period, researchers at IRB Barcelona have published 15 scientific articles and hold 4 patents, thus contributing to the development of the field and becoming an international reference on this topic.

Objective: the brain

The article highlights that the administration of drugs to the brain is one of the main challenges of drug development, given the significant number of patients with neurological diseases and the low efficiency of the treatments currently available. Although the barrier that protects the brain–known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) — limits the capacity of drugs — many with great potential — to reach their target, molecular peptide vectors, known as BBB shuttles, are emerging as a promising tool to overcome this obstacle.

In recent years, transporters based on peptides–small proteins–are attracting attention in the field due to their low production cost, small effect on immune system response, and chemical versatility compared with traditional antibodies and other larger proteins.

The review article presents the BBB as a formidable obstacle but at the same time a great opportunity for the administration of drugs to the brain. The review provides an introduction to the concept of peptide shuttles and makes reference to the most important ones, paying special mention to two peptides that have reached clinical assays.

It then goes on to explain thee examples of shuttles that highlight the main advances in relation to several types of cargo that they can transport, and some basic features to be viable as drugs, such as protease-resistance, which allows long life in blood. The researchers finally describe current trends and challenges to tackle to achieve the next generation of shuttle peptides.


Filed Under: Drug Discovery

 

Related Articles Read More >

Sanders, King target DTC pharma ads but the industry worries more about threats to its $2B R&D model
Zoliflodacin wins FDA nod for treatment of gonorrhea
FDA approved ENFLONSIA for the prevention of RSV in Infants
First clinical study results of Dupixent for atopic dermatitis in patients with darker skin tones 
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE