CONTEXT

Many drugs or biomarkers currently under development fail their clinical development, because of their incapacity to be internalized.

Cell penetrating peptides (CCPs) are a promising strategy for delivering active molecules into cells and potentially solve this issue. Derivatives from the HIV protein TAT for instance, were successfully used for transporting peptides or DNA into cells. Most of the existing CCPs however involve a covalent link between the delivered molecule and the transporting peptide. Furthermore, the internalization occurs through the process of endocytosis, which is a limit to the delivery of active molecules. Finally, one of the major drawbacks of current CCPs is the absence of specific tissue targetting.

Dr. Divita’s Laboratory has pioneered research in non covalent delivery peptides and is continuously developing new CCPs for diverse applications.