A new era of brain-penetrant therapies is opening up, as companies hook up drugs to transferrin receptors or use viral capsids to hitch a ride into previously inaccessible regions.
Denali Therapeutics recently disclosed remarkable results for one of its biological agents, the fusion protein DNL310, demonstrating that the molecule had successfully penetrated the brain from circulation.
The general concept of using TfR1 to shuttle molecular payloads through the BBB is decades old, and scientists have tried varied approaches to bind TfR1. But TfR1 is not the only receptor up to the task: CD98 is also receiving some attention, as it is present on brain endothelial cells but not on the peripheral endothelium. Such specificity is necessary to ensure efficient CNS targeting, but it is not sufficient.
Bicycle Therapeutics claims to have a developed a fully tunable drug delivery system that exploits TfR1 to shuttle RNA therapeutics into the brain. The Cambridge, UK company uses a new therapeutic modality made from a short synthetic peptide with a bicyclic structure, constrained around a central chemical scaffold.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hair loss treatments take aim at the immune system - Nature BiotechnologyDrugs commonly used in rheumatology, the JAK inhibitors, are opening up treatment options for people with autoimmune-driven hair loss, and new mechanistic knowledge is also helping scientists tackle androgenic alopecia, the commonest cause of baldness.
Read more »
Methodological concerns and lack of evidence for single-synapse RNA-seqNature Biotechnology - Methodological concerns and lack of evidence for single-synapse RNA-seq
Read more »
This New Perfume Smells Like Extinct FlowersFuture Society is changing the future of fragrance through biotechnology
Read more »
The Importance of Nature in Our LivesActivities such as forest bathing can reduce stress and enhance well-being.
Read more »
Q&A: New tool supports private industry in minimizing impacts to nature's servicesCompanies and investors are increasingly considering, and measuring, the impacts of their business activities on nature, or 'natural capital' (the world's stock of natural assets like air, water, soil, and biodiversity). This includes how impacts to ecosystem services, the benefits nature provides to people, create risks—and opportunities—for their businesses and clients.
Read more »
Toxic formaldehyde's dual nature to be probed with new chemical toolNewly developed ompounds aim to reveal the dual nature of formaldehyde, a chemical that is known to cause cancer but is also believed to play important roles in our biology.
Read more »