Chemical & Engineering News interviews David Cowburn, Ph.D., about conflicting reports on the efficacy of stapled peptides, protein fragments chemically locked into an α-helical shape, and their potential for drug development. Dr. Cowburn, who has used stapled peptides to interfere with HIV assembly, notes that stapling is not easy and many adjustments need to be made to create a peptide that will work successfully within a cell. Dr. Cowburn is professor of biochemistry and of physiology & biophysics.
February 5, 2013