More effective drugs with new technology – forskning.se

The work, performed in Torbjorn Grass Lund research team at KTH, has for years been the focus of Johan Seijsing as part of his doctoral work, and builds on the knowledge of protein receptors.

– Our results are based on the research previously done on a receptor, a protein that sits in our cells. This receptor called FcRn is in charge of the transfer of antibodies from the mother and fetus so that the fetus has a working immune system at birth. The receptor fulfills the same function later during lactation. In adulthood lengthens the time that the immune system’s antibodies circulating in the blood, says Johan Seijsing, who works in the Department of Protein Technology at KTH

He continues to tell me that it is this feature of the receptor, he and the other KTH researchers utilize to make drugs more effective.

– You could say that the receptor is a bit of a drug manufacturer’s Holy Grail. It is found in the principle of the whole body, but especially as it is found in the veins, which is the most important thing in this case. What we have done is to test the billions of small proteins called affibody molecules to sift out the best version that attaches to the receptor. This molecule, protein tag, can then be combined with various protein drugs, says John Seijsing.

What would the results of the research could lead to? Well, drugs with longer half-life in the body. That is, they stay longer in the blood and appear longer, which means that the patient does not need to take new syringes with drugs as often as before.

– Protein drug needs to be injected, and our small protein tag can be linked to an existing drug. So the first step we have achieved, and proved that it is feasible, is that patients do not need to inject the drug as often as before, says Johan Seijsing.

He says that he and the other the researchers hope to be able to contribute to the future of medicine.

– That said, protein drugs have so far not been able to put into the form as a pill, as an aspirin. We hope to contribute to protein drugs, both are to be eaten in pill form or even inhaled. The receptor is also in the lungs and intestines, says Johan Seijsing.

Which diagnoses, research can then hopefully be significant for? Torbjörn Gräslund, senior lecturer in the Department of Protein Technology at KTH, mentioning among other treatment for short stature, hemophilia, cancer and diabetes. Diseases for which there is an imbalance regarding hormones and where frequent injections required are particularly relevant.

– The research findings and technologies are general and can pretty much be used for many different drugs, says Torbjörn Gräslund.

He concludes by saying that a patient taking a drug every day with their protein tag that said, expect to have to inject themselves far more often.

– Thus, patients are less likely to have nasty side effects of uneven concentrations. The research results also opens up to create entirely new drugs of proteins that are known to have an effect, but stops for a short time in the body in its unmodified form, says Torbjörn Gräslund.

KTH researchers just got an article about the research published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS. Here are the article .