We are excited to unveil a new project – Engineering and delivery of localized therapeutics – funded by the Texas A&M Targeted Proposal Teams (TPT) initiative ($250,000, 2/2024-8/2025). The project is led by Dr. Zhilei Chen from the School of Medicine. Dr. Jian Tao from the Digital Twin Lab will work closely with Dr. Chen and others to develop new machine learning-based computational tools for the engineering of protease-resistant biologics.
The objective of the project is to revolutionize the treatment of respiratory and digestive diseases through the development of a new generation of biologic therapeutics through AI-assisted engineering of proteins. This initiative marks a significant departure from traditional systemic administration methods, such as intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections, by exploring alternative routes that could vastly improve treatment outcomes for diseases affecting the lung and gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Structured around three pivotal projects, the study endeavors to:
- Understand the principles affecting biologics’ activity within the GI tract and lung.
- Develop strategies for effective therapeutic delivery to the GI tract.
- Innovate delivery methods for targeting the lung.
By embracing an interdisciplinary team science approach, this study aims to address the complex challenges associated with the direct organ delivery of biologics. Completion of this study is expected to lay the foundation for a new generation of biologics, heralding new treatments for a broad spectrum of respiratory and digestive diseases.
Other investigators of this project are Dr. Hisashi Koiwa (College of Agriculture & Life Sciences), Dr. Carolyn Cannon (School of Medicine), and Dr. Joseph Sorg (College of Arts & Sciences).