Compugen, a Molecular Locksmith

Anyone familiar with this blog knows that I like movies, and one of my favorites is the 1984 science fiction comedy hit "Ghostbusters" about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists who trap ghosts for a living. Perhaps you recall the scene in which Dr. Peter Venkman knocks on the door of Dana Barrett, who is possessed by the "Gatekeeper". Dana asks Venkman, "Are you the Keymaster?" Venkman replies, "Not that I know of," whereupon Dana slams the door in his face.

What does any of the above have to do with Compugen?

Last Thursday, Compugen announced its twelfth discovery platform for the prediction of peptides to block disease associated protein-protein interactions. Okay, but what should this mean to a simpleton like myself?

Interactions between proteins are critical to many biological functions. For example, signals from the binding of proteins to receptors on the exterior of a cell are conveyed to the inside of that cell, triggering events within the cell, many of which are crucial for our ongoing life processes, but some capable of inducing diseases, e.g., various cancers.

What has Compugen accomplished with its newly announced PPI Blockers Discovery Platform? In a nutshell, Compugen is able to identify protein-protein binding sites responsible for inducing certain diseases, and is further capable of designing peptides that can block the portal where the relevant proteins bind.

How significant is this capability? Imagine if you, without a map or instructions, were asked, (1) to find a specific door in New York City, possessing an excruciatingly intricate lock, and (2) to insert a key with a size and configuration exactly tailored to that lock, so as to prevent the person with the real matching key from opening the door. Now imagine this on a molecular level. Difficult? Absolutely!

Now let's place the PPI Blockers Discovery Platform in perspective: In March 2010, Compugen announced its eleventh discovery platform, no less remarkable than its twelfth, for the discovery of cell penetrating peptides for drug delivery, which tackled the seemingly insuperable problem of getting therapeutics past the cell membrane. In March 2008, Compugen announced the development and validation of its Blockers of Disease Associated Conformation ("DAC Blockers") Discovery Platform for the identification of peptides that block proteins from adopting their disease associated conformations, which addressed yet another biological conundrum (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.com/2009/08/compugen-evolution-of-new-platform-for.html). After ten years of R&D, Compugen is creating a unique suite of complementary discovery tools, mediating biological processes on the molecular level and providing answers for critical unmet drug discovery needs.

In a world beset with economic and political problems, I continue to take refuge in the joy provided by the scientific advances of this remarkable little company.

[As noted in prior blog entries, I am a Compugen shareholder, this blog entry is not a recommendation to buy or sell Compugen shares, and in mid-September 2009 I began work as a part-time external consultant to Compugen. The opinions expressed herein are mine and are based on publicly available information. This blog entry has not been authorized or approved by Compugen.]