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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Construction of Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Enhanced Penetration of Biological Barriers
Published on: September 19, 2022
Improving the passive permeability of macrocyclic peptides: Balancing permeability with other physicochemical
Praew Thansandote1, Robert M Harris1, Hannah L Dexter1
1GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2NY, UK.
Abstract:
A number of methods to improve the passive permeability of a set of cyclic peptides have been investigated using 6- and 7-mer macrocyclic templates. In many cases the peptides were designed by molecular dynamics calculations to evaluate the methods. The aim of this study was not only to improve passive permeability, but also to balance permeability with other physicochemical properties with the goal of understanding and applying the knowledge to develop active cyclic peptides into drug candidates. Evaluation of the methods herein suggest that increasing passive permeability often occurs at the expense of solubility and lipophilicity. Computational methods can be useful when attempting to predict and design features to balance these properties, though limitations were observed.
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