Veterinary Therapeutic Protein and Peptide Lead Optimization

In recent years, protein and peptide drugs have become increasingly important in the veterinary field, attracting more attention from researchers. These medications often face challenges such as poor stability, low dosages, short half-lives in vivo, and reduced bioavailability. Consequently, lead optimization is a crucial step in the preclinical identification of promising protein and peptide drug candidates. After identifying potential hits through initial screening, these candidates enter the lead optimization phase of drug discovery for veterinary applications. BioVenic, utilizes a suite of advanced technologies and innovative bioinformatics tools to enhance this process, ensuring the development of effective and reliable protein and peptide solutions for animal health. Whatever your needs and goals, we can provide customized lead optimization services to better target your preclinical veterinary therapeutic research.

Protein and Peptide Lead Optimization Overview

Veterinary therapeutic protein and peptide lead optimization is a crucial phase in the development of new treatments for animal health. This process involves refining proteins and peptides to enhance their therapeutic efficacy, stability, and safety for use in veterinary medicine. The objective is to identify and modify candidate molecules that can effectively target specific veterinary conditions while minimizing side effects. The optimization process typically starts with the identification of lead compounds that show potential therapeutic benefits. These leads are then subjected to various modifications to improve their biochemical properties, such as increasing binding affinity, enhancing solubility, reducing immunogenicity, and improving pharmacokinetic profiles. Techniques such as molecular modeling, site-directed mutagenesis, and chemical modifications are often utilized to achieve these enhancements. The goal of lead optimization in veterinary therapeutics is to develop a product that is not only effective but also economical and easy to administer, meeting the unique demands of veterinary practice. This field continues to grow with advances in biotechnology, providing new opportunities for developing treatments that can improve the health and well-being of animals across a variety of species.

Fig.1 The overview of veterinary therapeutic protein and peptide lead optimization. (BioVenic Original)

Protein and Peptide Sequence Optimization

• Molecular Modeling
  Molecular modeling plays a pivotal role in the lead optimization of proteins and peptides for veterinary applications. This computational technique involves simulating and analyzing the molecular and atomic interactions that govern the structure and function of biological molecules. In the context of veterinary medicine, molecular modeling is utilized to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and specificity of proteins and peptides designed to treat a variety of animal diseases. BioVenic offers comprehensive services in molecular modeling, providing tailored solutions that enhance protein and peptide lead optimization for veterinary applications, ensuring both efficacy and safety in therapeutic developments.

Fig.2 Multiscale modeling and application in computational simulations. ^1,2

• Point Mutation
  Point mutation is a powerful tool in the biophysical sequence optimization of proteins and peptides, particularly in the development of veterinary therapeutics. This technique involves the deliberate alteration of specific amino acids within a protein or peptide sequence to improve its biological properties and therapeutic potential. BioVenic specializes in applying point mutation techniques for protein and peptide optimization, offering advanced point mutation methods and iterative testing services to enhance the efficacy and safety of veterinary therapeutics.

Fig.3 Mutation scheme for the OppA-tripeptide complexes.^3,4

Protein and Peptide Structure Optimization

• Post-translational Modification
  Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial biochemical changes that occur after the synthesis of proteins and peptides, profoundly influencing their function, stability, and interactions. In veterinary applications, optimizing PTMs is a key strategy in developing effective and safe therapeutic proteins and peptides for animal health. BioVenic utilizes advanced technologies and innovative approaches to optimize post-translational modifications (PTMs) in therapeutic proteins and peptides. By leveraging techniques such as site-specific glycosylation, precise phosphorylation, and other targeted modifications, we enhance the stability, efficacy, and safety of these biomolecules.

Fig.4 Diagram showing the chemical nature of post-translational modifications (PTMs).^{5, 6}

• Custom Labelling/Conjugation Service
  Customized labeling/conjugation involves the attachment of specific tags or labels to proteins and peptides, which can serve various purposes in veterinary applications. These labels can include fluorescent tags, radioactive isotopes, biotin, or affinity tags. The main objectives of custom labeling in this context are to facilitate the tracking, quantification, and purification of therapeutic proteins and peptides, as well as to study their distribution, interactions, and pharmacokinetics in animal models. BioVenic provides specialized services in custom labeling and conjugation as part of our protein and peptide lead optimization for veterinary use.

Fig.5 Scheme of metabolic protein labeling. ^{7, 8}

• Backbone Alteration
  Backbone alteration, which mainly occurs in peptides, involves modifying the peptide backbone structure to enhance the therapeutic properties of these biomolecules. This process is particularly important in veterinary applications, where treatments must be effective across diverse animal species with varying metabolic and physiological profiles. Backbone alterations can significantly improve the stability, bioavailability, and target specificity of therapeutic peptides, while also minimizing their immunogenicity. BioVenic helps develop safer and more effective therapeutic peptides for veterinary use, ensuring better health outcomes for a wide range of animal species.

Fig.6 Peptide backbone modifications of amyloid β (1–40) impact fibrillation behavior and neuronal toxicity. ^{9, 10}

Service Workflow

We provide a comprehensive range of services for the analysis and optimization of therapeutic proteins and peptides. Our process starts with a personalized consultation to thoroughly understand your unique requirements, allowing us to design a tailored project plan. Once the project scope is defined, we formalize the collaboration with a contract to ensure mutual clarity and protection of both parties' interests. We then conduct experiments with strict adherence to established protocols and deliver a detailed report of the findings. Additionally, we offer extensive post-project support and professional services to assist our clients in implementing and utilizing the results effectively.

Fig.7 The service workflow of veterinary therapeutic protein and peptide lead optimization. (BioVenic Original)

Why Choose Us?

Veterinary therapeutic protein and peptide optimization is a complex field that demands specialized expertise to select the most effective methodologies tailored to specific project objectives. BioVenic leverages a comprehensive portfolio of proprietary protein and peptide technologies, combined with advanced bioinformatics and medicinal chemistry, supported by a decade of experience in managing R&D projects. We can provide a diverse array of modified proteins and peptides to meet your unique optimization needs. Whether you have specific goals or are seeking expert guidance on your project, we invite you to contact us today to explore how we can assist you in achieving optimal outcomes.

References

1. Nakliang, Pratanphorn, et al. "Multiscale molecular modeling in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-ligand studies." Biomolecules 10.4 (2020): 631.
2. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Multiscale modeling and application in computational simulations". Pratanphorn, et al., 2020, used under CC BY 4.0, the title was changed to "The overview of veterinary therapeutic protein and peptide lead optimization ".
3. Ochoa, Rodrigo, et al. "Assessing the capability of in silico mutation protocols for predicting the finite temperature conformation of amino acids." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 20.40 (2018): 25901-25909.
4. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Mutation scheme for the OppA–tripeptide complexes". Ochoa, Rodrigo, et al., 2020, used under CC BY 3.0, the title was changed to "Mutation scheme for the OppA-tripeptide complexes".
5. Forrest, Suzanne, and Martin Welch. "Arming the troops: Post-translational modification of extracellular bacterial proteins." Science Progress 103.4 (2020): 0036850420964317.
6. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "An overview of the most common post-translational modifications in bacteria, showing the amino acid side chains which are most frequently modified". Forrest, Suzanne, and Martin Welch, 2020, used under CC BY 4.0, the title was changed to " Diagram showing the chemical nature of post-translational modifications (PTMs)".
7. Ignacio, Bob J., et al. "THRONCAT: metabolic labeling of newly synthesized proteins using a biorthogonal threonine analog." Nature Communications 14.1 (2023): 3367.
8. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Scheme of metabolic protein labeling". Ignacio, Bob J, et al., 2023, used under CC BY 4.0, the title was not changed to "Scheme of metabolic protein labeling".
9. Schwarze, Benedikt, et al. "Peptide backbone modifications of amyloid β (1–40) impact fibrillation behavior and neuronal toxicity." Scientific Reports 11.1 (2021): 23767.
10. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Scheme of metabolic protein labeling". Schwarze, Benedikt, et al., 2021, used under CC BY 4.0, the title was not changed to "Peptide backbone modifications of amyloid β (1–40) impact fibrillation behavior and neuronal toxicity".