Using AI to advance brain therapeutics

Researchers at Texas A&M, led by Peter Davies, MD, PhD, have been awarded a grant to develop a delivery system for medications past the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier protects the brain but also blocks many drugs and therapies from reaching their target.
Davies’ strategy is to develop synthetic molecules that can travel with physiological pathways used for delivering nutrient to the brain.
The synthetic shuttles are designed peptides that can cross the barrier and deliver therapeutics for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The project utilizes a combination of AI, computational biology, chemistry, and experimental biology to optimize their peptide designs.
The research team, comprising experts like Wenshe Liu and Vicente Rubio, aims to establish the feasibility of their approach with this grant.
Success in the grant will provide foundational data, leading to larger funding and potential new treatments for early intervention in brain diseases.
The initiative reflects Texas A&M’s commitment to advancing early-stage research with the goal of taking a leading role in neuroscience.