Feldan therapeutics announces a publication in nature communications

In an article published in Nature Communications, entitled "Engineered Amphiphilic Peptides Enable Delivery of Proteins and CRISPR Associated Nucleases to Airway Epithelia” Dr. David Guay, Research Director of Feldan Therapeutics, and collaborator Dr. Paul McCray, from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, demonstrate that Feldan’s engineered amphiphilic peptides (Feldan Shuttles) allow safe and efficient intracellular delivery of proteins to airway epithelia.

The authors declare: "The delivery of biologic cargoes to airway epithelial cells is challenging due to the formidable barriers imposed by its specialized and differentiated cells. Among cargoes, recombinant proteins offer therapeutic promise but the lack of effective delivery methods limits their development. Here, we achieve protein and SpCas9 or AsCas12a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery to cultured human well-differentiated airway epithelial cells and mouse lungs with engineered amphiphilic peptides (…). We observe no evidence of short-term toxicity with a widespread distribution restricted to the respiratory tract." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12922-y

In the last few years, Feldan has worked closely with Dr. McCray’s team on the delivery of proteins to airway cells and in vivo models, aiming to advance new therapeutic avenues in the treatment of pulmonary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers involved are experts in airway epithelial cells, pulmonary biology, lung diseases, as well as recombinant protein production, delivery peptides and CRISPR technology. In the context of that collaboration, 2018 was marked by the announcement of a $4 million (USD) grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) National Institutes of Health (NIH) to carry out a five-year project using the Feldan Shuttles to deliver CRISPR nucleases to airway epithelia. (https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/university-of-iowa-and-feldan-therapeutics-awarded-grant-by-the-national-institutes-of-health-697187691.html)