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Study breakdown

N-Methylation of Peptides: A Key Chemical Strategy for Making Oral Peptide Drugs

ReviewModerate evidence
The takeaway

N-methylation of peptide bonds dramatically improves oral bioavailability, proteolytic stability, and membrane permeability of peptides — the chemical modification strategy behind several successful oral peptide drugs including cyclosporine.

Key finding

N-methylation of peptide backbone amides improves oral bioavailability, proteolytic stability, membrane permeability, and conformational rigidity — th

What the researchers found

N-methylation of peptide backbone amides improves oral bioavailability, proteolytic stability, membrane permeability, and conformational rigidity — the key chemical modification enabling oral peptide drugs, validated by cyclosporine and being applied to new therapeutic peptides.

Why it matters

Relevant for peptide-design, bioavailability, cyclic-peptides.

How the study worked

review study.

What this study cannot tell us

See abstract.

How to read the evidence

moderate evidence.

When this study was published

Published in 2008.

The bigger picture

Advances peptide research.

Questions still open

  • Further research needed.
  • Clinical translation to evaluate.

Common questions

What was studied?
N-Methylation of Peptides: A Key Chemical Strategy for Making Oral Peptide Drugs
What was found?
N-methylation of peptide bonds dramatically improves oral bioavailability, proteolytic stability, and membrane permeability of peptides — the chemical modification strategy behind several successful oral peptide drugs including cyclosporine.

Read the original research

N-methylation of peptides: a new perspective in medicinal chemistry.

Accounts of chemical research, 41(10), 1331-42

Citation

Chatterjee, Jayanta; Gilon, Chaim; Hoffman, Amnon; Kessler, Horst. (2008). N-methylation of peptides: a new perspective in medicinal chemistry.. Accounts of chemical research, 41(10), 1331-42. https://doi.org/10.1021/ar8000603