IMT-P8

IMT-P8 is an arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide derived from the voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1D. It is designed to efficiently internalize into various cell types via endocytosis, enhancing the delivery of large molecules such as proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids intracellularly and across biological barriers, including the skin. IMT-P8 shows low toxicity, can permeabilize both outer and cytoplasmic membranes of bacteria, and is particularly studied as an antibiotic adjuvant. It potentiates the activity of multiple classes of antibiotics, enabling Gram-positive specific agents to become active against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria by facilitating their uptake. IMT-P8 has been tested in murine infection models, demonstrating safety and efficacy, and has also been explored in topical formulations for protein, peptide, and nucleic acid delivery, as well as for cosmeceutical skin applications[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].