Technologies

Peptide Based Inhibitor of Calcium Current

Technology description

Application area

• Expression of this peptide fragment within the cell reduces the normal calcium current by 30% ~ 50%, which can greatly alter the cell function. This peptide is a strong candidate for further pharmaceutical research and drug design.
  Variety of heart related conditions: Some conditions currently treated with calcium-channel blockers include high blood pressure, abnormally rapid heart rhythms, and angina pectoris - a certain type of chest pain related to restricted blood flow to the heart.
  
• Improve blood flow to different regions of body: Other than the well-documented cardio-vascular benefits, the way in which calcium current regulators have been shown to relax arteries and improve blood flow has led doctors to prescribe them as preventative medications for chronic migraines and as a way to reduce the severity of bi-polar disorder and panic attacks.
• Chronic pain and neuronal messaging: Cell membranes have numerous calcium channels. This peptide has the potential to regulate not only muscle contraction and blood flow but also the chemical signals that trigger neural signaling

Advantages

• This calcium current inhibitor represents a mechanistically novel, potentially safer, method of regulating calcium current density by altering the number of active calcium channels in the membrane rather than interfering with the movement of calcium through channels as is the case with the calcium channel blockers (CCBs).
• Present in human tissue: This peptide fragment is derived from a naturally occurring compound already found in cell membranes. By exposing certain cells to the peptide, regulation of the calcium current can be achieved.
• Small lipophilic peptide fragment: The peptide fragment's short length, high functionality, and lipid solubility make it a great candidate for a small-molecule therapeutic delivery system.