Novelty:
Identification of a mutant peptide with strong inhibitory effect on nociceptor TRPA1, useful for the prevention and treatment of chronic and acute pain and itch.
Value Proposition:
Dysregulation of ion channels is associated with various debilitating conditions, including chronic pain and itch. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), an ion channel expressed primarily in pain sensing neurons, has gained increasing attention as the main nociceptor mediating neurogenic inflammatory responses. In this invention researchers have identified a cell-permeable mimic of a negative TRPA1 regulator that strongly inhibits TRPA1 activity only when TRPV1 is present which likely only occur in nociceptors in the dorsal root ganglia. Advantages include:
Technical Details:
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a cell-permeable peptide effectively inhibiting activity of the mechanical stress sensor TRPA1, presenting a novel therapeutic for acute and chronic pain and itch. TRPA1 are calcium channels located in primary sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which generate different types of somatosensation, including pain and itch. Here, inventors discovered a peptide that, when carrying a specific mutation, promotes strong inhibition of TRPA1 activity. Therefore, administration of effective amounts of this cell-permeable mutant peptide can serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for disorders related to TRPA1-mediated neuronal hyperexcitability.
Looking for Partners:
To develop and commercialize this technology as a novel protein therapeutic for pain and itch.
Stage of Development: Pre-Clinical
Data Availability: Animal data, publication.
Publications/Associated Cases:
