Scientists have created a groundbreaking strategy utilizing uniquely designed peptides to enhance drug formulations. This new approach considerably boosts anti-tumor effectiveness.
A research team has introduced a revolutionary method that incorporates specially crafted peptides to refine drug formulations. This cutting-edge technique markedly improves anti-tumor effectiveness, as evidenced by experiments on leukemia. The findings, published in the journal Chem, were spearheaded by scientists from the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Drug delivery systems encounter two major hurdles: poor solubility and ineffective delivery within the body. Many medications struggle to dissolve properly, making it hard for them to reach their intended locations. Additionally, existing delivery systems can waste a large portion of the medication during preparation—typically, only 5-10% of the drug is successfully utilized, leading to less effective treatments.
Peptide Helpers
The research team has proposed an innovative solution by creating peptides—short chains of amino acids—that attach to specific drugs to form therapeutic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles consist mainly of the medication, wrapped in a thin layer of peptide that boosts solubility, enhances stability while in the body, and optimizes delivery to specific destinations. This novel approach boasts drug loadings of up to 98%, a considerable improvement over standard techniques.
Through a combination of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, they identified new drug/peptide nanoparticles. These were shown to perform exceptionally well in leukemia models, shrinking tumors more effectively than the drugs on their own. Moreover, their high efficiency allows for lower drug doses, which could minimize side effects.
“Peptides, which are designed molecules composed of the same building blocks as the proteins in our body, show remarkable versatility,” stated Co-Principal Investigator Rein Ulijn, director of the Nanoscience Initiative at CUNY ASRC and a chemistry professor at Hunter College. “We believed they could effectively address two significant issues found in many medications: poor solubility and inefficient delivery. By crafting a peptide that bonds with the drug while enhancing its solubility, we were able to create nanoparticles with extremely high loading capabilities.”
Customizable Technology
This advancement has considerable potential because peptides can be tailored to improve the performance of various medications. Given the broad spectrum of potential interactions in peptide design, it may be possible to customize peptides for particular drugs, expanding their use beyond just cancer therapies.
“This breakthrough paves the way for the creation of better precision medicines,” remarked Co-Principal Investigator Daniel Heller, head of the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Molecular Pharmacology Program. “By employing specially formulated peptides, we can construct nanomedicines that enhance the efficacy of existing drugs, reduce toxicity, and even facilitate the development of drugs that would not function effectively without these nanoparticles.”
Naxhije “Gia” Berisha, a former Ph.D. student at CUNY Graduate Center who conducted much of the experimental work, emphasized the promise of the peptide technique: “We utilized empirical testing to discover potential peptides and computational modeling to assess their interactions with therapeutic agents,” she noted. “It’s astonishing to observe how minor adjustments in peptide sequences can align with specific drugs. This indicates that there could be a suitable peptide for every medication, potentially transforming how we deliver treatments.”
Looking Ahead
The research team is now implementing laboratory automation techniques to further enhance and speed up the peptide-drug matching process. Their upcoming steps involve testing the method’s effectiveness on a broader array of diseases. If successful, this innovation could yield more efficient treatments, fewer side effects, and significant savings in drug development costs.
