MiniAp-4 peptide

MiniAP-4 peptide is a short nontoxic derivative of apamin (a neurotoxin from bee venom) used as a blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle peptide. The blood brain barrier has been known as the major barrier for drug delivery to the brain. Therefore, BBB shuttle peptides can be used to bind therapeutic molecules to allow their distribution in the central nervous system (CNS). BBB shuttle peptides are a good way to enable central nervous system therapies because these molecules are more economical, less immunogenic, and have higher chemical versatility than large proteins. On the other hand, they are often metabolized by serum proteases.To overcome this problem, some peptides found in venoms can target the CNS directly, such as apamin, which has been modified to form MiniAp-4 (a non-toxic and non-immunogenic apamin derivative) which stands out as the vector of choice. Indeed, this carrier, MiniAp-4 peptide, is protease-resistant and has negligible toxicity and immunogenicity.