Can small protein molecules from plants, insects, cone snails or snakes serve as blueprints for active substances with reduced side effects’ This is the question that the international consortium "Biodiversity2Drugs", led by Michael Freissmuth and Christian Gruber from MedUni Vienna, wants to investigate as part of BIODIVERSA+ call "Nature-based solutions for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change". The project brings together 25 partners from 18 countries and is dedicated to sustainable research of natural peptide resources for the development of new drug candidates. The MedUni’s three-year
At the Institute of Pharmacology at MedUni Vienna’s Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, the focus of "Biodiversity2Drugs" is on the discovery and isolation of peptides from a variety of natural sources, e.g. defense peptides from plants, peptide hormones from insects and peptide toxins from cone snails or snakes. Computer-aided methods are used to identify these molecules from large genomic data sets and isolate them by chemical extraction. The focus here is on the pharmacological analysis of cellular receptors, in particular the so-called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are among the most important drug targets for pharmaceuticals.
"Our aim is to identify new drug candidates with specific binding properties and optimized pharmacological properties that are more effective with fewer side effects," say The idea is to harvest these nature-derived peptides to characterize and understand the molecular mechanism of signal transduction and to develop innovative therapies e.g. for chronic pain, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease as well as for the treatment of other chronic inflammatory diseases.
The overall "Biodiversity2Drugs" project is concerned with the sustainable research of terrestrial and aquatic bioresources and the targeted implementation of these natural molecules in drug discovery and development. The overarching goal is to study the mechanism of action of innovative peptide compounds that can be sustainably isolated from natural sources and produced in an eco-friendly manner to inspire and contribute to the protection and conservation of global biodiversity. The consortium brings together leading experts from the fields of peptide research, ecology and evolution, bioinformatics, chemistry and pharmacology to translate the invaluable potential of nature’s molecular treasure trove into pharmaceutical applications.
About the person:
Michael Freissmuth
Michael Freissmuth studied medicine in Vienna, trained as a pharmacologist in Vienna and Dallas and is Professor and Head of the Institute of Pharmacology and the Centre for Physiology and Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna. His research focuses on the mechanisms of signal transmission in the nervous system, in particular on transport proteins and receptors, which play a central role in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Freissmuth is involved as an expert in important national committees, including as a chairman of the drug evaluation commission (of the National Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions) and the evaluation board for specialized, high-priced drugs.
Christian Gruber
Christian Gruber is a biochemist and holds a PhD from the University of Queensland in Australia. He joined the Institute of Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna in 2008 with a "Lise Meitner" postdoctoral fellowship. After research stays in South America and Australia, he has been Associate Professor at the Institute of Pharmacology at MedUni Vienna since 2016. For his research, he received numerous awards, amongst others the Heribert-Konzett Prize of the Austrian Pharmacological Society (2013) and the Dr Willmar Schwabe Award of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research (2014). His research group focuses on investigating the pharmacological effects and biochemical mechanisms of peptide hormones from insects, plant toxins and animal venoms and their potential use as drug candidates for autoimmune diseases and pain treatment. (https://www.gruber-lab.com)
