Resurfaced Cell-Penetrating Nanobody Constructs and Methods
Opportunity
Available for Licensing
IP Status
US Utility Patent: US 15398368
US Utility Patent Pending: US 16792461
Inventors
Brian McNaughton
Virginia Bruce
At A Glance
Researchers at Colorado State have developed novel resurfaced cell-penetrating nanobody constructs. These nanobodies can serve as general scaffolds for the discovery of therapeutic leads that target disease-relevant intracellular receptors.
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Background
Proteins offer unique opportunities as therapeutics and basic research tools. While all small-molecules reported to date modulate a very small percentage of the proteome (~2%) — and only a handful of protein structural classes — the size, functional group diversity, and complex three-dimensional structure of proteins can enable much broader recognition. Moreover, various high-throughput screening and evolution-based methods make the discovery of new protein binders simpler than the analogous small-molecule focused process.
One major challenge to the broader use of proteins in biomedical applications is their general inability to efficiently cross the lipid bilayer of mammalian cells and access the cytosol. Thus, most current protein drugs and basic research tools target disease-relevant receptors that reside on the surface of the cell or the extracellular matrix. Efforts to unlock the full potential of proteins in biomedical applications by enabling potent and functional cell penetration have been a major focus of modern biologics research.
Benefits
- Potent cell-penetrating nanobody
- Accesses the cystol
- Evolvable scaffold for intracellular drug discovery (using in vitro or in vivo techniques)
- Protein scaffold is amenable to polycationic resurfacing
- Structure, function, and stability/robustness is maintained
Applications
- Drug Discovery
- Research Tool
Last updated: April 2021