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Related Concept Videos

Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation01:25

Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation

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The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of pancreatic β-cells synthesizes preproinsulin, which consists of a signal peptide, A and B chains, and a C-peptide. Preproinsulin is then cleaved and folded into proinsulin, which translocates to the Golgi apparatus for sorting and packaging into secretory granules. In these granules, enzymatic clipping generates insulin and C-peptide.
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment...
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Insulin Formulations: Types and Delivery01:27

Insulin Formulations: Types and Delivery

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Insulin preparations are categorized by their duration of action into short-acting and long-acting types. Two strategies are used to modify insulin's absorption and pharmacokinetic profile: slowing the absorption post-subcutaneous injection, or altering human insulin's amino acid sequence or protein structure. These changes retain the insulin's ability to bind to the insulin receptor, but alter its behavior in solution or after injection.
Short-acting insulins are divided into...
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Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

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Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
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Protein and Protein Structure02:15

Protein and Protein Structure

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Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
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Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists01:24

Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists

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Incretins include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which stimulate insulin secretion post-meals. In type 2 diabetes, GIP's efficacy is reduced, making GLP-1 a viable drug target. GIP originates from preproGIP.
GLP-1, when administered in high doses intravenously, triggers insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, reduces food intake, and restores normal insulin secretion. However, its rapid inactivation by...
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Prochirality02:05

Prochirality

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The concept of prochirality leads to the nomenclature of the individual faces of a molecule and plays a crucial role in the enantioselective reaction. It is a concept where two or more achiral molecules react to produce chiral products. A typical process is the reaction of an achiral ketone to generate a chiral alcohol. Here, the achiral reactant reacts with an achiral reducing agent, sodium borohydride, to generate an equimolar mixture of the chiral enantiomers of the product. For example, an...
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Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
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Discrete, Chiral Polymer-Insulin Conjugates.

Wencong Wang1, Yivan Jiang1, Zhihao Huang1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|September 20, 2022
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Precise polymer-protein conjugates synthesized using iterative exponential growth (IEG) offer improved control over drug delivery. These novel insulin conjugates demonstrate tunable properties for optimized blood glucose responses in diabetic mice.

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Area of Science:

  • Bioconjugation Chemistry
  • Polymer Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Polymer conjugation enhances therapeutic biomacromolecule stability and pharmacokinetics.
  • Conventional methods yield heterogeneous conjugates with manufacturing variability and limited structure-property control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a precise synthesis strategy for polymer-protein conjugates using discrete, chiral polymers.
  • To evaluate the impact of tunable polymer features on the biological performance of insulin conjugates.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of discrete, chiral polymers via iterative exponential growth (IEG).
  • Conjugation of IEG polymers to insulin as a model therapeutic polypeptide.
  • In vivo evaluation of blood glucose response in diabetic mice compared to PEGylated insulin and Lantus.

Main Results:

  • IEG-insulin conjugates eliminated manufacturing variability associated with polymer dispersity and chirality.
  • Tunable polymer features, like conformational rigidity, modulated protein function, leading to faster or prolonged glucose lowering.
  • No decreased activity, immunogenicity, or toxicity observed after repeat dosing.

Conclusions:

  • IEG enables the precise synthesis of synthetic polymer-biopolymer conjugates.
  • Fine-tuning synthetic polymer structure offers a pathway to optimize conjugate performance for therapeutic applications.