The Use of Peptides in the Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome: Challenges and Opportunities

Bibliographic Details
Title: The Use of Peptides in the Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Alice Romagnoli, Daniele Di Marino
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry, Vol 12 (2021)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Collection: LCC:Psychiatry
Subject Terms: Fragile X syndrome, targeted therapy, peptides, peptidomimetics, drug development, Psychiatry, RC435-571
More Details: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most frequent cause of inherited intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, characterized by cognitive deficits and autistic behaviors. The silencing of the Fmr1 gene and consequent lack of FMRP protein, is the major contribution to FXS pathophysiology. FMRP is an RNA binding protein involved in the maturation and plasticity of synapses and its absence culminates in a range of morphological, synaptic and behavioral phenotypes. Currently, there are no approved medications for the treatment of FXS, with the approaches under study being fairly specific and unsatisfying in human trials. Here we propose peptides/peptidomimetics as candidates in the pharmacotherapy of FXS; in the last years this class of molecules has catalyzed the attention of pharmaceutical research, being highly selective and well-tolerated. Thanks to their ability to target protein-protein interactions (PPIs), they are already being tested for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, but this approach has never been applied to FXS. As FXS is at the forefront of efforts to develop new drugs and approaches, we discuss opportunities, challenges and potential issues of peptides/peptidomimetics in FXS drug design and development.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1664-0640
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754485/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1664-0640
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754485
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/0c86197a80b2456d8ce7f450ab063d4f
Accession Number: edsdoj.0c86197a80b2456d8ce7f450ab063d4f
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:16640640
DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.754485
Published in:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Language:English