Aileron Therapeutics Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Aileron Therapeutics engineers peptides that contain spiral confirmations called alpha helixes. These spirals are often unstable and fall out of shape--at least when manufactured in the lab. By placing a hydrocarbon staple between the turns in the spiral, Aileron's technology enables peptides to retain their stable conformation, and to arrive at their target destinations in active form. Many of the proteins involved in disease contain these alpha helix structures, and the ability to reproduce synthetic mimics would open up a multitude of therapeutic doors.