Liposaccharide based peptide and vaccine delivery systems: Improving the bioavailability and immunogenicity of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (2011-2015)

Many peptide based compounds have been identified as potential new drugs and vaccines but few have progressed into the clinic due to enzymatic breakdown and lack of oral absorption. Our project aims to address these issues by employing highly novel strategies: (i) develop systems based on natural lipids and carbohydrates to deliver peptides (here, Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone, LHRH) and regulate testosterone levels; (ii) develop mucosal LHRH vaccines combining an adjuvant, carrier and antigen (LHRH) in one molecular entity. A significant outcome of this work is the combination of chemical and enzymatic synthetic methods which can revolutionise the development and delivery of peptide-based therapeutics for a wide range of diseases.