New Nanocarrier Technology Promises Breakthrough in Delivery of Therapeutic Drugs Through Mucosal Membranes

OLATHE, KS, Apr. 13, 2023 – Phoreus Biotech, a leading provider of next-generation peptide nanocarriers, has announced today a new addition to their portfolio of proprietary nanocarrier technologies. Amphipathic Peptide Capsules (APC) offer a new way to encapsulate nucleic acids and therapeutics in a water solution for improved delivery through mucosal membranes. 

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults worldwide, nearly always leading to serious health complications and a drastically shortened lifespan. Recent advances in medicinal treatments have made significant strides in tackling this condition – however, successful delivery of drugs to target cells remains a major challenge. APC may very well be the key to more effectively delivering CF therapeutics to the lungs.

In research conducted with the University of Kansas School of Medicine, APC have been shown to successfully reach and penetrate apical surface cells in a cystic fibrosis, lung tissue model. Due to their high surface charge, APC can easily move through the excess mucus produced by the diseased lung tissue, which has proven to be a difficult barrier for CF treatments in the past.

“This carrier has potential as a delivery system for apical delivery of compounds in the lung for the treatment of airway diseases,” said Dr. Michael Kim, University of Kansas Medical Center Research Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. “Our lab is currently evaluating the effectiveness of the APC platform for the delivery of small molecules into Cystic Fibrosis human airway epithelial cells.”

APC provide protection for mRNA during delivery before ultimately opening inside of cells to release their therapeutic cargo. While initial research is focused on CF, this delivery method holds promise for treating a wide range of respiratory conditions, as well as delivery of drugs needed to penetrate oral, ocular, and nasal membranes. 

APC also have the advantage of not being recognized by the body’s immune system, allowing them to be used in therapies without triggering negative immune system responses. Research is also planned to explore their application in therapies for cancer, genetic diseases, and other conditions treatable with nucleic acid therapies.

“We’re pleased to be on the cutting edge of developing new ways to deliver these life-saving drugs to areas of the body that have been considered difficult to treat in the past,” said Dr. Michael Coe, CSO, Phoreus Biotech. “Utilizing new peptide-based nanocarriers for treatment of these conditions has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of people around the world.”

About Phoreus Biotech

Phoreus Biotech is an Olathe, KS-based life science company and is the provider of three proprietary nanocarrier platforms with the capacity to revolutionize human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Their Branched Amphipathic Peptide Capsules (BAPC®), Corralling Amphipathic Peptide Capsules (CAPC®), and Amphipathic Peptide Capsules (APC) offer substantially increased efficacy in the creation and delivery of vaccines, cancer therapies, antibiotics, diagnostics, and biopesticides.