Expanding the repertoire of immunomodulatory drugs: targeting the melanocortin system using engineered cyclic peptides (2017-2020)
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, have profound impacts on the lives of many Australians. New drugs are required for these diseases as existing treatments are expensive, become less effective with repeated use or cause adverse side effects. My project will work towards addressing this need by investigating the potential of ultrastable cyclic miniproteins as scaffolds for displaying bioactive peptides that are known to restore immune self-tolerance.
