Presenting Therapeutic Peptides Using Synthetic Polymers
Rachel A. Letteri, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Virginia
Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar
Presenting Therapeutic Peptides Using Synthetic Polymers
Date: Nov. 13, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. to noon
In-person: Room 3012, 2 Riverside Circle
Virtual: Join via Zoom
About this Seminar
Peptides have become a prominent class of therapeutics, exemplified most recently by the success of GLP1. While peptides show potential to treat an even broader range of conditions, their potential is limited by rapid degradation by enzymes and clearance through renal filters, resulting in half-lives often <10 min. Towards prolonging peptide half-life, this talk will describe Dr. Letteri's lab’s efforts to use synthetic polymers to formulate therapeutic peptides in ways that generate larger structures less prone to renal filtration and that slow proteolytic degradation. Specifically, it will highlight the role of polymer architecture (e.g., comb vs. star-shaped polymers), stereochemistry, and degradability in designing synthetic polymers that maximize the function and potential of therapeutic peptides.
Additional Details
This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Vascular and Heart Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.
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