Salivary stability and mucosal permeation of bioregulator peptides - BC-1022

Project type: Research
Desired discipline(s): Biochemistry / Molecular biology, Life Sciences, Pharmacy / Pharmacology, Chemistry, Natural Sciences
Company: Adaptogenics Inc.
Project Length: 4 to 6 months
Preferred start date: As soon as possible.
Language requirement: English
Location(s): Vancouver, BC, Canada
No. of positions: 1
Desired education level: Master'sPhD
Open to applicants registered at an institution outside of Canada: No

About the company: 

Adaptogenics Inc. is a clinical-stage peptide therapeutics company developing pharmaceutical-grade bioregulator peptide formulations for longevity, tissue repair, and metabolic health. The company's clinical pipeline includes BPC-157, MOTS-c, Epitalon, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, Thymosin alpha-1, Semax, Selank, Dihexa, and TB-500, and is the only publicly listed peptide therapeutics company formally engaging the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee on the regulatory status of these compounds. Adaptogenics has established a pharmaceutical-grade quality and stability programme through a partnership with CATSCI Limited (Bristol, UK), and is developing a non-injectable delivery platform (buccal/sublingual films and patches) for short-chain bioregulator peptides such as Epitalon. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and maintains research relationships with longevity scientists and clinicians including Dr. Sajad Zalzala (AgelessRx), Dr. JD Warren (Weill Cornell), and Dr. Tim Hardman (Niche Science and Technology). The company is seeking academic research support to characterize the stability and mucosal permeation behaviour of its lead bioregulator peptides, generating data to support its delivery platform IP programme and an upcoming pharmacokinetic study.

Describe the project.: 

Adaptogenics Inc. is developing a non-injectable (buccal/sublingual) delivery platform for short-chain bioregulator peptides, beginning with Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, MW ~390 Da), and extending to BPC-157 and MOTS-c. Injectable subcutaneous administration remains the gold standard for bioavailability but is incompatible with non-invasive delivery formats. The key open question is how these peptides behave when exposed to the salivary and oral mucosal environment, where proteolytic enzymes (salivary peptidases) can rapidly degrade unprotected peptides before they cross the mucosal epithelium.

The goal of this research project is to characterize the stability and permeation behaviour of Adaptogenic's lead bioregulator peptides under conditions simulating the oral mucosal environment. This includes: (1) determining the degradation half-life of each peptide in simulated saliva and salivary peptidase models; (2) identifying the primary degradation products and cleavage sites using LC-MS/MS; (3) evaluating ex vivo mucosal permeation using porcine or excised buccal tissue models where available; and (4) assessing whether polymer-based formulation strategies (HPMC, PVA, chitosan-based coatings) meaningfully improve stability and permeation relative to unformulated peptide.

Additional research questions include: how peptide molecular weight and charge correlate with observed buccal permeation; whether reversible chemical modification (e.g., terminal capping) measurably improves resistance to salivary peptidase degradation without compromising bioactivity; and how findings translate into formulation recommendations for a dissolving oral film or mucoadhesive patch format.

The intern(s) will work with Adaptogenic's scientific advisory team to design and run in vitro stability assays, conduct LC-MS/MS-based analytical characterization, and produce a report summarizing findings and formulation recommendations. This work will directly inform Adaptogenic's IP filing strategy for its buccal delivery platform and the design of an upcoming human pharmacokinetic study comparing sublingual versus subcutaneous administration.

Required expertise/skills: 

Strong background in biochemistry, protein/peptide chemistry, or pharmaceutical sciences. Hands-on experience with peptide handling, enzymatic stability/degradation assays, and analytical chemistry techniques (HPLC, LC-MS/MS) for peptide identification and quantification. Familiarity with enzyme kinetics and proteolytic degradation pathways. Experience with ex vivo permeation models (e.g., Franz cell, mucosal tissue models) is an asset. Familiarity with pharmaceutical formulation principles (polymer-based delivery systems, mucoadhesives) is an asset. Strong written communication skills for documenting methodology and findings.