Research into the use of peptide ‘shuttles’ has been praised for its potential to overcome barriers in Alzheimer’s and dementia treatment. 

Peter Davies, Deputy Director at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, and his colleagues have been awarded a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Initiative (DARI) seedling grant for work into delivering medication past the blood-brain barrier. 

The blood-brain barrier, a network of protective mechanisms that blocks unwanted molecules from entering the brain from the bloodstream, has been a persistent obstacle in neuroscience. While essential for protecting the brain, it also prevents promising therapeutics from reaching their target. 

The research team have worked to develop synthetic molecules, which form synthetic peptides. These peptides act as ‘shuttles’ in the bloodstream, passing through the blood-brain barrier to deliver therapeutics into the brain. 

This crossing is made possible by the peptide’s construction and its ability to interact with target proteins in a specific way that allows movement from the bloodstream into the brain. 

“What we’re proposing to do is to take advantage of the physiological pathways that the body does use to move specific molecules out of the bloodstream and into the brain,” Davies said.  

“These pathways allow some critical materials and nutrients that are in the bloodstream to be delivered into the brain. Basically, the strategy here is to develop our own synthetic molecules that can move as passengers in that system and move drugs or therapeutics into the brain for both the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.” 

Artificial intelligence helping to design novel peptides
 

As part of the project, Davies is working with Wenshe Liu, Regents Professor and the Harry E Bovay, Jr Chair in Chemistry in the Texas A&M College of Arts and Sciences. Together, they hope to target neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), as well as head injuries that result in post-traumatic encephalopathy. 

The collaboration between the two researchers draws on Liu’s expertise in designing and developing novel peptides, and also involves computational biology, chemistry and artificial intelligence. 

“We use artificial intelligence to design new peptides, test them experimentally, and then use those results to further refine our designs,” Liu said.  

“We have a healthy feedback loop that not many other teams have that really enhances our ability to push further in drug development.” 

While the project is still in early stages, the team’s goal for this grant cycle is to establish foundational data by demonstrating the feasibility of their approach.  

The project’s success could lay the groundwork for larger-scale funding and further development, potentially leading to new therapeutics for early intervention in brain diseases. 

 “I am continually impressed and grateful that Texas A&M is willing to invest in launching these early-stage initiatives in order to have the research progress to a level where it can be expanded and can compete successfully for extramural funding,” Davies said.  

“It’s admirable that the institution has made the strategic decision to support early phase research that can be important, ultimately, in having the university take a leading role in this field of research.”