Development of a co-delivery strategy for the Feldan Shuttle and a therapeutic agent for systemic administration

PROJECT COST:

480 000 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

96 000 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

For a drug to be effective, it must be able to reach its therapeutic target. However, a major challenge for many drugs is that their target(s) are located inside the cell. This is because a cell is protected by a membrane—the cytoplasmic membrane—which prevents many molecules, including drugs, from entering. Thus, even the most potent drug becomes ineffective if it cannot reach its target. Feldan Therapeutics Inc. has developed a patented peptide-based technology, the “Feldan Shuttle,” which enables the rapid and safe delivery of proteins into cells. In partnership with Feldan Therapeutics, Prof. Gauthier’s group at INRS-EMT has developed a prototype of the Shuttle that is better suited for use in living organisms. Having demonstrated the critical properties of this prototype in cell culture, this project aims to further improve it through more advanced cellular studies and systemic distribution studies in healthy mice.