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LifeTein’s Peptides Help Broaden Our Understanding of Engineering Physicochemical Properties onto Nanoparticles | LifeTein Peptide Blog

LifeTein’s cysteine-containing peptides helped researchers better understand the effect peptide physicochemical properties have on the pharmacokinetic profiles of the nanoparticles they are attached to. Better understanding and control of these effects is inva

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LifeTein’s cysteine-containing peptides helped researchers better understand the effect peptide physicochemical properties have on the pharmacokinetic profiles of the nanoparticles they are attached to. Better understanding and control of these effects is invaluable for future engineering design of many types of therapeutic nanomaterials, including for treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Nanoparticles’ Physicochemical Properties Influenced by Peptides

Scientists at the University of California were keen on finding out what exact physicochemical properties in peptides affect the pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles designed for treating TBI. Nanoparticles are a convenient means of therapeutic drug delivery, as they can exhibit different pharmacokinetic profiles from the drug cargo in their core. This experiment analyzed how functionalizing the nanoparticles with PEG and an array of peptides with varying physicochemical properties, provided by LifeTein, contribute to the biodistribution in vivo, using a mouse model of TBI.

Results showed that the biodistribution of the modified nanoparticles varied mainly as a result of the charge of the peptides attached; basic peptides resulted in restricted distributions in the brain via convection-enhanced delivery (CED), as well as elevated off-target organ accumulation resulting in a decrease in brain accumulation when using systemic administration. In comparison, nanoparticles modified with acidic, zwitterionic, or neutral peptides demonstrated less restricted distribution in the brain via CED, and increased accumulation in injured vs. uninjured brain tissue after systemic administration.

This study suggests that the charge of peptides should be greatly taken into account when designing nanoparticles with peptide-modified surfaces. Peptides offer a great way to influence the biological interactions of nanoparticles, and understanding what physicochemical properties contribute to said influence will further advance the use of therapeutic nanoparticles in treatments like TBI.

Reference: Waggoner, L.E., Madias, M.I., Hurtado, A.A. et al. Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Peptide-Modified Nanoparticles with Engineered Physicochemical Properties in a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury. AAPS J 23, 100 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-021-00626-5

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Clinical Trials and Research

Several clinical trials have explored the use of PADRE in cancer vaccines. For instance, vaccines targeting Mucin 1 (MUC1), a glycoprotein overexpressed in many cancers, have shown promising results when combined with PADRE. These vaccines have demonstrated the ability to elicit strong immune responses, including the production of antibodies against cancer-specific antigens.

Source: lifetein.com ↗

Studying Cell-Cell Interactions with LIPSTIC

In immunology research, Cy7-labelled LPETGG peptides have proven instrumental in the LIPSTIC (Labelling Immune Partnerships by SorTagging Intercellular Contacts) technique. This elegant method uses bacterial sortase A to enzymatically transfer fluorescent dyes from the LPETGG substrate onto interacting cell surfaces, enabling researchers to track dynamic immune partnerships in vivo and in vitro with single-cell resolution. Such applications underscore the versatility of Cy7 beyond simple structural labelling.

Source: lifetein.com ↗
Practical and safety references

These excerpts are educational, not personalised medical instructions.

How-to reference

How to solubilize my synthetic peptides? #

Please refer to this FAQ for details: Handling and Storage of Synthetic Peptides. If the peptides are still cloudy, or turbid, you may have reached the limit of solubility. When the peptides are insoluble in the buffer, please try to sonicate, centrifuge, and lyophilize the peptide. Make sure to break the lyophilized lumps into a fine powder. Then try a small volume of a good agent 8M Urea, NMP, DMF, or DMSO to dissolve the peptide. Then dilute with water or your desired buffer. For peptides with Arg or LYs, you should try to lower the pH to 6 because the protonated amino acids will help solubility. Sonication and the following solvents may help with difficult peptides: 1) Begin with 100 % acetonitrile then dilute with water until 50% 2) Begin with 100% DMSO then dilute with water until 30 % 3) Dissolve it with 8M Urea 4) Dissolve it with 6 or 8 M Guanidine hydrochloride 5) 6M GuHCL, 0.05% TFA, pH2, 6) 100% TFA 7) 40% AcOH, 30%ACN, 30% water

Source: lifetein.com ↗
Storage reference

Enhanced Stability

Cyclic peptides are known for their conformational rigidity, which makes them less susceptible to enzymatic degradation. This increased stability is particularly beneficial for therapeutic applications where peptides need to remain intact longer in the body.

Source: lifetein.com ↗
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