Lipid Engineering to Create New Therapeutics and Other Products
On March 26, the UH Drug Discovery Institute hosted Dan Monticello of GlycosBio for a research seminar titled “Lipid Engineering to Create New Therapeutics and Other Useful Products.”
In this talk, Monticello described enzyme-based processes to enhance the nutritional and therapeutic properties of lipids— plant and animal fats. GlycosBio has developed a library of proprietary lipids designed to enhance the performance of personal care molecules, including the ability to selectively unlock antimicrobial properties of natural materials for therapeutic benefit.
Studies show improved bioavailability in oils for cystic fibrosis patients and species-specific antimicrobial activity for rebalancing microbiomes. Studies have also targeted strep throat, RSV, and dental caries. Monticello also described how lipids may be engineered to interact with the skin, increasing their permeability to a range of hydrophobic molecules from hydrocortisone to CBD. Vegetable oils can also be modified to act as latex-compatible lubricants to replace silicone oils.
Daniel J. Monticello, Ph.D. is Chief Scientific Officer at GlycosBio Inc. in the Texas Medical Center. He obtained his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Georgia before joining Miles Laboratories in Indiana. Monticello has co-founded several biotechnology companies. He is inventor or co-inventor on over 40 issued or pending U.S. patents.