D-1598: Anti-diabetic Property of Small Molecule Analogs of E4orf1 Protein

A virus, part of the adenoviridae family, has been found in the fat cells of obese and diabetics which has a a strong correlation with obesity. A protein made by the virus, E40rf1, has been shown to decrease glucose uptake in the liver and increase the uptake of glucose in fat and muscle cells causing lower levels of insulin to be needed to clear glucose from the blood stream. But human cells do not have a receptor for the protein, so small molecule analogs of E4orf1 were created to mimic the activity of the protein. The analogs have demonstrated the ability to increase glucose uptake in in vitro studies. Reference Number: D-1598 Market Applications: Biomedical Research Prevention and Treatment of diabetes Features, Benefits, & Advantages: Promotes the intake of glucose for treating diabetes Small molecules do not have the same limitations as E4orf1 protein Intellectual Property: A US provisional patent, US 62/789,674, was filed on January 8, 2019. Development Stage: The analogs have been synthesized and been tested in vitro. The next steps are to conduct in vivo studies. Researchers: Nikhil Dhurandhar, Nutritional Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas David P McClure david.mcclure@ttu.edu 806-834-5899