Applying the Retro-Enantio Approach To Obtain a Peptide Capable of Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a formidable physical and enzymatic barrier that tightly controls the passage of molecules from the blood to the brain. In fact, less than 2% of all potential neurotherapeutics are able to cross it. Here, by applying the retro-enantio approach to a peptide that targets the transferrin receptor, a full protease-resistant peptide with the capacity to act as a BBB shuttle was obtained and thus enabled the transport of a variety of cargos into the central nervous system.