I-Corps: Peptide-Enabled Dental Technologies

该项目旨在将一种工程肽ADP 5商业化，该肽可快速催化牙齿的矿化。这种肽及其衍生物被认为是广泛的牙科产品中的活性成分，将大大改善牙齿护理。ADP 5是通过使用肽库的生物组合选择得到的，然后通过生物信息学设计使用矿化牙齿组织中天然存在的生物矿化蛋白进行定制。牙齿护理中的现有产品要么不足以恢复矿物质损失，这是主要牙齿健康问题的基础，要么只能掩盖矿物质损失引起的副作用，如过敏症。基于I-Corps团队先前的跨学科研究，涉及分子生物学，牙周病学，生物信息学和材料科学，设计一种能够逆转和修复脱矿牙齿表面的肽现已被证明是可能的。尽管在公共供水中广泛使用氟化物，但龋齿和牙齿过敏仍然是老年人口和暴露于高糖饮食的儿童中普遍存在的卫生保健问题。如果成功的话，生物矿化肽的广泛使用可以预防和治疗早期龋齿，此外，还可以用于过敏性牙齿以促进矿化，从而修复通过开放的牙小管暴露神经的区域。该团队的最终目标，通过这个I-Corps计划，是为一个可行的牙科保健产品初创公司制定商业化计划。 通过I-Cops课程，该团队的目标首先是确定商业上可行的牙齿护理产品线，开发商业合作伙伴网络（产品开发以及许可），并接受商业化概念的培训（例如，识别潜在客户，如牙科诊所和消费品公司;建立互动网络;为成立初创公司制定商业计划。

This project aims to commercialize an engineered peptide, ADP5, that rapidly catalyzes remineralization of the teeth. This peptide and its derivatives are envisioned to be the active ingredients in a broad-range of dental products that will drastically improve dental care. ADP5 was derived through biocombinatorial selection using peptide libraries and then tailored via bioinformatic design using naturally occurring biomineralization proteins in mineralized dental tissues. Existing products in dental care are either inadequate in restoring the mineral loss, the basis of major dental health problems, or only mask the side effects caused by the loss of mineral, such as hypersensitivity. Based on the I-Corps' team's previous interdisciplinary research, involving molecular biology, periodontics, bioinformatics, and materials science, designing a peptide that is capable of reversing and repairing demineralized tooth surfaces has now been proven possible. In spite of widespread use of fluoride in public water supplies, dental caries and hypersensitive teeth remain a prevalent health care problem in both the aging population as well as in children exposed to high sugar diets. If successful, the widespread use of biomineralization peptides could prevent and treat early stage dental caries and, in addition, can be used on hypersensitive teeth to promote remineralization, thus repairing areas where the nerves are exposed via open dental tubules. The team's ultimate goal, through this I-Corps program, is to develop a commercialization plan for a viable start-up company for dental health products. Through the I-Cops curriculum, the team aims first to identify commercially-viable product lines in dental care, develop a network of commercial partners (in product development as well as licensing), and get trained on the commercialization concepts (e.g., identifying potential customers such as dental clinics and consumer product companies; establishing a network of interactions; and developing a business plan canvas for the formation of a startup company.