Gate2Brain is one of the projects to receive research funding from the Obra Social “la Caixa”
The results of the IRB Barcelona project could have applications in various neurodegenerative diseases
Of the 221 projects presented, only 26 have been awarded funding
The project “Gate2Brain, peptide shuttles for protein replacement therapy in Friedreich’s ataxia”, led by Ernest Giralt, head of the Peptides and Proteins Lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and full professor of the University of Barcelona, and by Javier Díaz Nido, at the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), has been awarded funding from the RecerCaixa Programme—an initiative of the Obra Social “la Caixa” with the collaboration of the Associació Catalana d’Universitats Públiques (ACUP).
This project seeks to establish a new therapeutic approach to Friedreich’s ataxia based on the replacement of the frataxin protein that patients lack. However, this approach could be used for other neurodegenerative diseases. By means of peptide shuttles loaded with the protein, the project aims to transport potential drugs for the treatment of these diseases across the barrier that protects the brain against infection, the so-called blood-brain barrier. Currently, only 2% of the drugs tested for diseases of the central nervous system reach their target. In this regard, Gate2Brain would provide a solution for a clear social need.
2014 marks the fifth call of the RecerCaixa Programme for research funding. This year’s call received applications from 221 projects from 47 institutes. Of these, 26 (11.8% of the total) have been granted funding amounting to a total of more than 2 million euros.
The call is highly competitive given the quality and number of projects presented—these addressing fields ranging from the social sciences and humanities through to the health sciences. This year’s funding has been given to 20 projects in the social sciences and 6 in the health sciences.
It is estimated that one in four people will require brain treatment at some point. While there are drug candidates for most diseases of the brain, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses an impassable obstacle for most of these compounds and a bottleneck for the delivery of drugs that could cure these patients.
RNE's "Inquietamente" programme has interviewed Meritxell Teixidó, IRB Barcelona research associate, about the study based on scorpion venom. "We saw that there was a peptide in the scorpion venom, chlorotoxin, which has the ability to reach the central nervous system and then act as toxin, "said Teixidó.
Link to RNE
TV3, RAC1, ABC, World Pharma News, Neuro Science, among other national and international media, have published articles about the research from the Peptides and Proteins Lab at IRB Barcelona. The study in question is inspired on the scorpion venom to deliver medicines to brain. The scientists have modified a peptide from the venom and used it as a shuttle to transport drugs across the barrier that protects the brain.
Link to TV3
