Tardigrade Proteins as Novel Pharmaceutical Excipients

Project Description: Some medicines made from proteins need to be refrigerated and/or dried during storage and transportation to the patient. However, freezing and/or drying can decrease the effectiveness of the medicine. Also, freezing and drying increases manufacturing costs and limits developing world access to these medicines. Researchers at UNC have discovered protective proteins that can help maintain a medicine's activity during freezing and drying. The research proposed in the grant will, hopefully, demonstrate that these protective proteins are not toxic in order to develop them for use in human and animal medicines.