NCAM Peptide Mimetics for Depression Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current psychiatric disorder treatments, such as medications for depression and anxiety, often have limitations including slow onset of action, adverse events, and poor adherence, necessitating the development of more effective therapies.

Innovation Solution

Administration of NCAM peptide mimetics, specifically compounds like FGLm, FGLL, FGLs, and plannexin, which modulate depression and anxiety symptoms by mimicking neural cell adhesion molecule binding, offering antidepressant and anxiolytic effects through various administration routes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional psychiatric medications are used to treat depression and anxiety, then the treatments can address symptoms, but they have slow onset of action and cause adverse events

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidonset of action
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates specific peptide sequences (NCAM-derived peptides) that directly target neural cell adhesion mechanisms, bypassing the need for traditional medication pathways. By taking out the essential therapeutic component (NCAM peptide sequence) from complex traditional medications, the invention achieves faster onset of action while maintaining therapeutic efficacy for depression and anxiety treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the fundamental parameter of treatment mechanism from traditional neurotransmitter modulation to direct NCAM peptide interaction. This parameter change enables faster onset of action by directly targeting cell adhesion molecules involved in neuroplasticity, thereby improving the time-dependent therapeutic response without sacrificing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If traditional psychiatric medications are used to treat depression and anxiety, then the treatments can address symptoms, but they cause adverse events and poor adherence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidadverse events
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The NCAM peptide acts as an intermediary substance that mediates therapeutic effects through direct binding to neural cell adhesion molecules. This intermediary mechanism provides more selective and targeted action compared to traditional psychiatric medications, reducing off-target effects and adverse events while maintaining therapeutic efficacy for depression and anxiety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses synthetic peptide copies of naturally occurring NCAM sequences to replicate the beneficial neural adhesion effects without the side effects of traditional medications. By copying the essential structural features of NCAM peptides, the invention achieves therapeutic efficacy while avoiding adverse events associated with conventional psychotropic drugs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP2854836B1NCAM peptide mimetic for use in treating major depression disorder
Publication Date: 2018.04.04 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIV
  • EP2854836B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2854836B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2854836B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides methods for treating or alleviating one or more symptoms of depression and/or anxiety in a subject comprising administering an effective amount of an NCAM peptide mimetic to the subject. The symptoms of depression and/or anxiety are typically observed in or associated with a neurological condition. The present invention also provides methods for treating a neurological condition such as a psychiatric disorder in a subject comprising administering an effective amount of an NCAM peptide mimetic to the subject.