Tertiary Amine Oxide Protein Conjugates for Barrier Penetration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Proteins and polypeptides face challenges in penetrating through biological barriers such as the skin, cornea, and cell membranes due to their large molecular weights and hydrophilicity, limiting their administration routes to injections, which are painful and risky, and they are prone to degradation, reducing their efficacy.

Innovation Solution

A high-permeability protein or polypeptide conjugate is formed by bonding a tertiary amine oxide group-containing polymer to enhance their permeability, allowing transdermal, eye-dropping, and oral administration, and enabling cell entry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If proteins are administered through injection, then therapeutic efficacy is achieved, but patient pain and injection risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidpatient pain and injection risks
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a carrier system comprising liposomes and cyclodextrins as intermediaries to deliver proteins through non-invasive routes. The liposomes encapsulate the protein while cyclodextrins enhance permeability through biological barriers, enabling transdermal, ocular, and oral administration without injections

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of proteins by conjugating them with permeability-enhancing moieties and forming inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins. These parameter changes enable proteins to penetrate biological barriers that normally block macromolecules

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If proteins are administered orally, then non-invasive administration is achieved, but bioavailability decreases due to degradation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenon-invasive administrationVSAvoidbioavailability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Cyclodextrins serve as protective intermediaries that form inclusion complexes with proteins, shielding them from enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. The carrier system facilitates intestinal absorption while maintaining protein integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Liposomal membranes act as flexible protective shells that encapsulate proteins, protecting them from harsh gastrointestinal conditions while facilitating transport across the intestinal epithelium through endocytosis and other cellular uptake mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Measurement precision

If proteins are used to treat solid tumors, then target specificity is improved, but intratumoral penetration is limited by large molecular weight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget specificityVSAvoidintratumoral penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the protein delivery system into multiple functional components: target-specific antibodies or peptides for recognition, permeability-enhancing moieties for barrier penetration, and carrier systems for transport. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite structures by conjugating proteins with permeability-enhancing polymers and incorporating them into liposomal carriers. These composite materials combine the target specificity of proteins with the penetration capabilities of synthetic polymers and the protective properties of liposomes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Power

If protein molecular weight is increased for higher activity, then therapeutic potency is improved, but membrane permeability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic potencyVSAvoidmembrane permeability
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier system acts as an intermediary that bridges the size mismatch between large proteins and small membrane pores. Liposomes and cyclodextrins facilitate protein transport across membranes through mechanisms that are not strictly size-dependent, such as endocytosis and inclusion complex formation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The conjugate efficiently penetrates through skin and epithelial tissues, stabilizes proteins and polypeptides, prolongs their circulation time, and improves their therapeutic efficacy by facilitating non-invasive administration and intracellular action.

Implementation Method 1

a tertiary amine oxide group-containing polymer is bonded to a protein to significantly improve the permeability of the protein to achieve a transdermal ability, a cell entry ability, and tissue permeability

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation enhancement: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

The conjugate efficiently penetrates through skin and epithelial tissues, stabilizes proteins and polypeptides, prolongs their circulation time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectStabilization:

Data Source

PatentEP4623933A1High-permeability protein or polypeptide conjugate, and use thereof
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 HANGZHOU TITO BIOTECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP ENTERPRISE (LLP)
  • EP4623933A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4623933A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C
  • EP4623933A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A high-permeability protein or polypeptide conjugate and a use thereof are provided. A high-permeability protein conjugate is produced by bonding a tertiary amine oxide group-containing polymer to a protein other than insulin. A high-permeability polypeptide conjugate is produced by bonding the tertiary amine oxide group-containing polymer to a polypeptide. The protein and polypeptide are endowed with an ability to efficiently penetrate through the stratum corneum and epithelial cells and an intratissue penetration ability. The protein and polypeptide are also endowed with excellent stability and an ability to enter cells quickly to enable the druggability of proteins acting on intracellular targets. Therefore, the high-permeability protein or polypeptide conjugate can be used to prepare a formulation for efficient transdermal administration, eye-dropping administration, or oral administration.