Targeted Peptides

Explaining Targeted Peptide Technology ("TPT")

This technology targets the body's immune cells and seems to explain the mechanism behind some autoimmune diseases while presenting a possible solution. We are using TPT to develop compounds for treatment of Lyme Disease (VGV-L), Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Sepsis infection (VGV-S), and a second-generation HIV/AIDS therapy (VGV-X). We are also studying TPT approaches to treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body reacts to itself or self-tissues. In some cases, an external threat from disease-causing organisms activates too many of certain types of immune cells which in turn cause damage the body. A physical trait of those cells also makes them impervious to the body's natural defense system that would ordinarily limit their numbers.

TPT works by tricking those impervious cells into dropping their defenses. They can be fooled into releasing their protective shields, swapping the shield for a synthetic TPT-polypeptide instead. Those peptides, created by our research team, have been engineered to make the cell susceptible to the body's natural defenses. We expect our TPT drug compounds to enable the body to destroy the cells that help trigger the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

TPT is in some ways our successor to the TNP or thymus nuclear protein compound we previously studied. TNP is a cocktail of histone protein fragments that includes over 2500 peptides. TNP is derived from the thymus, where immune cells develop. Our early line of research investigated TNP for the potential to treat autoimmune diseases and HIV/AIDS, and we conducted six human clinical trials of a TNP-based drug. Since then, TPT has been developed based on the potential identification and explanation of the therapeutic benefit first seen with TNP.