A CYCLIC PEPTIDE TARGETS GLIOBLASTOMA BY BINDING TO ABERRANTLY EXPOSED SNAP25.

Disease-specific changes in tumors and other diseased tissues are an important target of research because they provide clues on the pathophysiology of the disease as well as uncovering potentially useful markers for diagnosis and treatment. Here, we report a new cyclic peptide, CESPLLSEC (CES), that specifically accumulated (homed) in intracranial U87MG and the WT-GBM model of glioblastoma from intravenous (IV) injection, associating with the vasculature. Affinity chromatography of U87MG tumor extracts on insolubilized CES peptide identified Synaptosomal Associated Protein 25 (SNAP25) as a candidate target molecule (receptor) for CES.

My scientific journey to and through extracellular matrix.

This article recounts my journey as a scientist in the early days of extracellular matrix research through the discovery of fibronectin, the RGD sequence as a key recognition motif in fibronectin and other adhesion proteins, and isolation and cloning of integrins. I also discuss more recent work on identification of molecular "zip codes" by in vivo screening of peptide libraries expressed on phage, which led us right back to RGD and integrins. Many disease-specific zip codes have turned out to be based on altered expression of extracellular matrix molecules and integrins.

Systemically administered wound-homing peptide accelerates wound healing by modulating syndecan-4 function.

CAR (CARSKNKDC) is a wound-homing peptide that recognises angiogenic neovessels. Here we discover that systemically administered CAR peptide has inherent ability to promote wound healing: wounds close and re-epithelialise faster in CAR-treated male mice. CAR promotes keratinocyte migration in vitro.