A research team from the University of Vienna in Austria, led by medicinal chemist Markus Mutenthaler, has developed a new class of therapeutics based on peptides that mimic the hormone oxytocin to treat chronic abdominal pain.
This groundbreaking innovation offers a safe, non-opioid-based solution for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, which affect millions of people around the world. The research results were recently published in the international edition of the Journal of Applied Chemistry (Angewandte Chemie) on October 9.
Current medications used to treat chronic abdominal pain are often opioid-based. These substances can cause severe side effects such as addiction, nausea, and constipation. In addition, they affect the central nervous system, often leading to fatigue and drowsiness, and making patients’ lives worse.
The risk of addiction is a particular dilemma, and has contributed to the ongoing global opioid crisis. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternatives that reduce these risks. Opioids are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs that includes both prescription drugs and illicit drugs.
An innovative approach to pain management
The new therapeutic approach targets oxytocin receptors in the intestine. Oxytocin is commonly known as the “love hormone” because of its role in social bonding. But another, less well-known role is that oxytocin can also affect pain perception. When the peptide hormone oxytocin binds to these receptors, it releases a signal that reduces pain in the intestines.
The advantage of this approach is that the effect is specific to the intestine, so there is less risk of side effects due to its restricted effect in the intestine only.
Oxytocin itself cannot be taken orally because it breaks down quickly in the digestive system. However, Professor Mutenthaler’s team succeeded in creating oxytocin compounds that do not break down in the intestine and are still able to strongly and selectively activate the oxytocin receptor.
This means that these newly developed oxytocin-like peptides can be administered orally, allowing convenient treatment for patients. This approach is particularly innovative because most peptide drugs (such as insulin) need to be injected, as they also break down quickly in the intestine. Peptides are chains of molecules called amino acids, which are the “building blocks” of proteins.
“Our research highlights the therapeutic potential of intestinal peptides and offers a new and safe alternative to existing pain medications, especially for those suffering from chronic intestinal disorders and abdominal pain,” explains Muttenthaler, according to EurekAlert.com.
Next steps and future expectations
With support from the European Research Council, scientists are now working to translate their research results into practice. The goal is to bring these new peptides to the market as an effective and safe treatment for chronic abdominal pain. Moreover, a general approach of oral and gut-specific peptide therapies could revolutionize the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, as the therapeutic potential of peptides in this field has not yet been fully explored.
The team has already obtained a patent for the developed drugs, and is now actively seeking investors and industrial partners to advance the drugs into the clinic.