STTR Phase I: Designer peptide opsonins against COVID-19
- Funded by National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Total publications:0 publications
Grant number: 2032392
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Key facts
Disease
COVID-19Start & end year
20202021Known Financial Commitments (USD)
$255,933Funder
National Science Foundation (NSF)Principal Investigator
Amanda Acevedo-JakeResearch Location
United States of AmericaLead Research Institution
Saphtx IncResearch Priority Alignment
N/A
Research Category
Therapeutics research, development and implementation
Research Subcategory
Pre-clinical studies
Special Interest Tags
N/A
Study Type
Non-Clinical
Clinical Trial Details
N/A
Broad Policy Alignment
Pending
Age Group
Not Applicable
Vulnerable Population
Not applicable
Occupations of Interest
Not applicable
Abstract
The broader impact / commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to develop a new therapeutic for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19. The proposed technology is a novel therapeutic engineered to specifically target the coronavirus and assemble on its surface, disabling the virus' infectivity. This therapeutic will potentially protect COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms from worsening and possibly transmitting the virus. The therapy may later benefit asymptomatic or non-infected high-risk groups as well.
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will study the nature of supramolecular assembly of self-assembled peptides (SAPs) on the surface of pathogens such as the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and its impact on the impairment and immune recognition of the pathogen. Self-assembled peptides have greater stability than unfunctionalized peptides, yet they are twenty times smaller than antibodies. Therefore, they may combine key benefits of antibodies and small molecules, enabling a new modality designed for rapid and affordable widespread development of urgently needed therapies. Current repurposing efforts are limited by a lack of specificity, while SARS-CoV-2-specific efforts are dominated by antibodies or proteins that are challenging to rapidly manufacture at scale. We will: (1) engineer functionalized anti-COVID-19 SAPs and studying their binding kinetics to the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD); (2) investigate the in vitro efficacy of anti-COVID-19 SAPs in inhibiting viral infection; and (3) establish the in vitro cytocompatibility and in vivo dose range tolerability of the SAPs.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will study the nature of supramolecular assembly of self-assembled peptides (SAPs) on the surface of pathogens such as the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and its impact on the impairment and immune recognition of the pathogen. Self-assembled peptides have greater stability than unfunctionalized peptides, yet they are twenty times smaller than antibodies. Therefore, they may combine key benefits of antibodies and small molecules, enabling a new modality designed for rapid and affordable widespread development of urgently needed therapies. Current repurposing efforts are limited by a lack of specificity, while SARS-CoV-2-specific efforts are dominated by antibodies or proteins that are challenging to rapidly manufacture at scale. We will: (1) engineer functionalized anti-COVID-19 SAPs and studying their binding kinetics to the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD); (2) investigate the in vitro efficacy of anti-COVID-19 SAPs in inhibiting viral infection; and (3) establish the in vitro cytocompatibility and in vivo dose range tolerability of the SAPs.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.