A new type of medicine, custom-made with tiny proteins | Christopher Bahl

Some common life-saving medicines, such as insulin, are made of proteins so large and fragile that they need to be injected instead of ingested as pills. But a new generation of medicine -- made from smaller, more durable proteins known as peptides -- is on its way. In a quick, informative talk, molecular engineer and TED Fellow Christopher Bahl explains how he's using computational design to create powerful peptides that could one day neutralize the flu, protect against botulism poisoning and even stop cancer cells from growing. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here: http://media-requests.TED.com

Video Script::

Translator: Reham Almrouti Auditor: toufik serrai I am a protein designer. I would like to touch on a new type of drug. It consists of a compound called restricted peptide. There are a few restricted peptide drugs available today, But there will be plenty in the market for the next decade. Let's go into the depths of what these new drugs are, How different it is, and the reason behind this next wave Of modern and exciting drugs. The restricted peptides are very small proteins. It consists of additional chemical bonds that restrict the shape of the compound, This gives it a stable structure And powerful. These proteins naturally appear, in fact our bodies produce very few of them And it helps us fight bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Even animals like snakes and scorpions She uses it in her toxins. Medicines made from protein are called biological medications. So it includes restricted peptides, As well as drugs such as insulin And antibody medications such as (Humira) or (Enbrel). All in all, these medicinal products are great, Because it avoids several ways in which drugs can lead to side effects. First, protein. It is defined as a natural, non-toxic organic molecule in our bodies. Our cells produce tens of thousands of different types, Essentially, all of our food contains it. Second, medications sometimes interact with molecules in your body Don't want her to. Compared to the size of small molecular drugs, By that I mean regular medications, like aspirin, Vital preparations are very large. These compounds interact when they adopt a shape that fits perfectly with them. Much like the lock and key. Well, the bigger key has more grooves, So it is likely to be installed in one lock. But most vital products are not without defects. Its disadvantage is that it is weak. So it is usually given by injection, This is because our stomach acid will destroy the medicine If we try to swallow it. The restricted peptides, on the contrary. They are really durable medicines, just like regular medicines. It can be taken with pills, inhalation, or ointments. This is what makes restricted peptides so desirable for drug development. It merges some of the best Characteristics of small molecules with biological drugs together. Unfortunately, we cannot Re-engineering the bound peptides that we find in nature To modern drugs. This is what I came up with. The process of creating a new drug is a key industry To match a specific lock. We have to match it to the shape exactly. But if we change the shape of the bound peptides too much, The chemical bonds will not be able to form. Therefore, the group of molecules will collapse and collapse. So we needed to know how to control its shape. You have been a party to a collaborative science endeavor It spanned ten institutions on three continents It met and solved this dilemma. We have taken a radically different approach from previous efforts. Rather than making changes to the bound peptides That we find in nature, We investigated a method for creating new types from scratch. And to help us create it, We developed a free open source peptide design program available to everyone Anyone can use it to do this as well. And to test our methodology, We created a chain of restricted peptides It has a wide variety of different shapes. Many of them have never been seen before in nature. Then we went to the lab and produced these peptides. Next, we defined the structure of their molecules Using experiments. And when we compare our designed models With real molecular structures, We found that our program can position individual atoms Strictly within the limits of what can be measured. Three years ago, this was not possible. But today, we have the ability to create a peptide designer Forms specifically designed for drug development. So where will this technology lead us? Well, recently, My colleagues and I designed restrictive peptides That weaken the influenza virus, And it protects against food poisoning, It inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Some of these are new medicines They were tested in preclinical experiments with laboratory animals. So far, they are all very safe and effective. The restricted peptide design is an advanced technology, The course of drug development is slow and cautious. So we are still three to five years away from human experiences. But during that time, Much of this type It will enter the path of drug development implementation. In conclusion, I believe the peptides are designer drugs It will enable us all to be free From the limitations of our diseases. thank you. (clap)