Exploring tanycytes for targeted drug delivery to the brain
Delivering drugs to the brain is one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) – a network of cells that protects the brain – also blocks many potentially life-saving drugs. But what if we could use an alternative route? That’s exactly what the T-GATE project sets out to explore.
An alternative entrance to the brain
At the centre of the project are tanycytes. Tanycytes are specialized cells found deep in the brain. Unlike other cells involved in the blood brain barrier, tanycytes offer a more flexible gateway, already known to allow certain signaling molecules to enter the brain. The T-GATE team aims to to deliver new treatments for metabolic and neurological disorders to the brain via the tanycyte cells.
Their goal is to build a laboratory model of the tanycyte barrier This will allow the T-GATE team (and later also other researchers) to study how peptides and drugs might travel from the bloodstream into the brain via this unique route.
“The T-GATE project will advance our understanding of tanycyte-mediated transport mechanisms at the blood-brain interface, bridging fundamental neuroscience with translational drug discovery,” says head of the T-GATE project Birger Brodin. “ODIN provides the ideal platform for this work, fostering collaboration between academic excellence and industry expertise to develop innovative CNS-targeted therapeutics.”
Combining experitse from industy and academia to build the tools for tomorrow’s treatments
The T-GATE project combines expertise from six partners across Europe: Five academic institutions and one industry partner, Gubra. Together, they bring a powerful mix of skills in cell biology, stem cell technology, peptide development, imaging, and drug screening.
The team’s step-by-step approach starts with developing a functional in vitro model of the tanycyte barrier. Once validated, this model will be used to screen compounds that can successfully cross into the brain. Their ultimate goal is a reliable screening tool that can speed up drug discovery for both cardimetabolic diseases and neurological disorders like obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
“This is a unique opportunity to apply cutting-edge imaging technologies to unravel complex subcellular transport mechanisms at the tanycyte barrier,” explains one of the team members Morten Schallburg Nielsen. “We can visualize polarized peptide and drug transport in unprecedented detail.”
Gubra, the project’s industry partner, brings in crucial translational expertise and a focus on real-world application.
“At Gubra, we see this as a key opportunity to advance translational drug discovery and novel therapeutic strategies,” says Anja Mosekjær Bengtsson, director at Gubra. “The T-GATE collaboration through ODIN bridges academic innovation with industry expertise, accelerating the development of human-relevant models for CNS and metabolic disorders.”
Meet the team and the expertise driving the T-GATE project
The T-GATE project brings together a highly skilled, cross-disciplinary team of researchers and innovators from across Europe. Each partner contributes with expertise in their respective fields, and together they form a strong foundation for exploring the novel route to the brain:
- Birger Brodin (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Project coordinator and expert in blood-brain barrier transport, Birger brings extensive experience in CNS drug delivery, in vitro modeling, and peptide-based therapeutics. He leads the development of the tanycyte model platform. - Vincent Prévot (Inserm, France)
A leading authority on hypothalamic tanycytes and neuroendocrine regulation, Vincent contributes key insights into the cellular and molecular functions of tanycytes, including transcriptomic profiling. - Lenka Maletínská (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Prague)
Lenka specializes in the development of peptide-based therapeutics targeting the CNS. She focuses on the design and testing of lipidized peptide analogs for treating metabolic disorders. - Morten Schallburg Nielsen (Aarhus University, Denmark)
Morten applies advanced imaging techniques to study membrane transport and receptor-mediated transcytosis in the brain. His work helps reveal the underlying mechanisms of compound movement across the tanycyte barrier. - Agnete Kirkeby (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
An expert in human pluripotent stem cell differentiation and translational neuroscience, Agnete leads the development of human stem cell-derived tanycytes to ensure the model’s relevance for future clinical applications. - Anja Mosekjær Bengtsson (Gubra, Denmark)
Representing the project’s industry partner, Anja contributes crucial know-how in translational drug discovery, metabolic disease models, and high-throughput screening. She plays a central role in aligning the project with real-world drug development needs.
An open model with broad applications
Importantly, the tools and insights generated through T-GATE will be made openly available. This means pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers alike will be able to use the model to explore new treatment pathways. Thereby the T-GATE project will hopefully be a steppingstone for future breakthroughs in brain-targeted therapies.
In short, T-GATE is opening a new door to the brain. A door that could change how we treat some of the most challenging diseases.
T-GATE is one of the 6 projects funded by ODIN in the 2024 call round. You can read more about T-GATE here: https://projects.au.dk/open-odin/t-gate