collagen hybridizing peptide

Collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) is a proprietary synthetic peptide developed by 3Helix in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. It is designed to specifically target denatured or damaged collagen molecules while ignoring intact, healthy collagen. CHP consists of a repeating glycine-proline-hydroxyproline (GPO) sequence that mimics the natural collagen triple helix. Its mechanism of action involves hybridizing with unfolded collagen chains by re-forming the triple helical structure, a process analogous to DNA primers binding to melted DNA strands during PCR. This high specificity allows CHP to serve as a molecular probe for detecting pathological tissue remodeling in conditions such as cancer, fibrosis, arthritis, and myocardial infarction. It is being developed primarily as a diagnostic imaging agent when conjugated to fluorescent dyes or radiolabels, and it also holds potential for targeted drug delivery and regenerative medicine applications.

Other names

collagen mimetic peptide