Peptide Breakthrough Revolutionizing Diabetes Treatment
Weekly injection reduces diabetes risk and enhances heart health, with potential beyond.
Imagine a weekly injection that not only treats diabetes, but also lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke, all without any harmful side effects.
That鈥檚 the idea behind a new class of compounds co-developed by , a medicinal chemist at 麻花影视. He and Christian Roth, a noted endocrinologist at Seattle Children鈥檚 Hospital, have created a novel peptide treatment called GEP44. The peptide is a chain of 44 amino acids鈥攏o relation to the University鈥檚 historic jersey number鈥攖hat reduces eating and boosts calorie burn.
A team of researchers at 麻花影视, led by medicinal chemist Robert Doyle, has co-developed a novel treatment for diabetes without harmful side effects.
鈥淕EP44 is linked to high-energy expenditure, which takes the form of increased movement, heart rate or body temperature,鈥� says Doyle, Dean鈥檚 Professor of Chemistry in the . 鈥淭he drug also prompts a molecular switch in our brain, causing us to feel full. Therefore, we lose weight by eating less.鈥�
Following a spring meeting of the (where GEP44 was unveiled), Doyle declared diabetes a global epidemic, expected to strike 1.3 billion people by 2050. Most cases involve type 2 diabetes, in which there鈥檚 too much sugar in bloodstream. 鈥淒iabetes is caused by various unavoidable factors, including family history, age and race, but the biggest one, weight, usually can be managed. That鈥檚 where GEP44 comes in,鈥� he says.
Doyle confers with lab member Emily Ashlaw G鈥�27, a Ph.D. candidate interested in peptide therapeutics. She's part of a team of students working at the nexus of chemical and pharmaceutical science.
Bringing Research to Life
If anyone adds value to 麻花影视鈥檚 research portfolio, it鈥檚 Doyle鈥攖eacher, mentor, researcher, entrepreneur. Small wonder that his background in synthetic chemistry, drug delivery and protein chemistry has spawned numerous honors, awards and patents.
鈥淚 develop drugs for the treatment of vitamin and mineral deficiencies as well as obesity and diabetes,鈥� says the native of Ireland, who holds three degrees, including a Ph.D., from the University of Dublin.
Students analyze a digital rendering of GEP44, a chain of amino acids that, among other things, reduces eating and boosts calorie burn.
Much of his work takes place on the third floor of the Life Sciences Complex, where he collaborates with students, faculty and postdoctoral researchers. Nicholas Najjar 鈥�21, a Ph.D. student, was among those who helped bring GEP44 to life. 鈥淭he peptide interacts with different gut receptors that, in turn, secrete hormones,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he hormones do important things, like normalize blood sugar.鈥�
Najjar explains that GEP44 also pulls glucose into muscle cells, where it鈥檚 used as fuel, and converts certain cells in the pancreas into insulin-producing cells, replacing those damaged by diabetes.
And because it has a longer half-life (i.e., the duration of action of a drug) than other diabetes treatments, GEP44 can be injected into the body once or twice a week rather than several times a day. Adds Doyle: 鈥淲e鈥檙e just beginning to understand what these compounds are capable of.鈥�
Nicholas Najjar 鈥�21 and Lucy Olcott 鈥�25鈥攁 Ph.D. and B.S. student, respectively鈥攇et hands-on, real-world experience in Doyle's lab. 鈥淗e's a driven researcher who looks out for his students,鈥� Olcott says.颅 颅
Embracing a Technology Ecosystem
Another perk of GEP44 is its impact on gene expression and brain circuitry, something that could potentially reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and one鈥檚 craving for opioids, like fentanyl. 鈥淣ausea and vomiting are linked to the same part of the brain,鈥� says Doyle, also a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence. 鈥淚f GEP44 can change gene expression and rewire the brain to prevent these reactions, it might help addicts quit illicit drugs or fend off a relapse.鈥�
Talk about teachable moments. Lucy Olcott 鈥�25, a junior majoring in chemistry (medicinal chemistry track) with a minor in , has spent the past year in Doyle鈥檚 lab, absorbing his multi-faceted approach. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a driven researcher who looks out for his students,鈥� she observes. 鈥淧rofessor Doyle has taught me protocols and methods that make me a better researcher.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e just beginning to understand what these compounds are capable of,鈥� says Doyle, noting that GEP44 might also reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and one鈥檚 craving for opioids, like fentanyl.
GEP44 also is a rich source of intellectual property. Doyle works in lockstep with Executive Director of Brian Gerling L鈥�99 to file patents and then explore the possibility of commercializing them through collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. 鈥淔DA approval is critical to the whole process,鈥� says Doyle, who also teaches at SUNY Upstate Medical University and the 麻花影视 VA Medical Center.
鈥淓arly indications suggest that GEP44 may be superior to other therapeutics, given some of the undesirable side effects reported by patients taking existing drugs,鈥� adds Gerling. 鈥淧rofessors like Robert Doyle yield all sorts of knowledge鈥攆rom ground-breaking discoveries, to incremental, yet impactful discoveries, and everything in between. Such is the technology ecosystem of 麻花影视.鈥�
