Pep-3 (6e9732)

Pep-3 is a cysteine-constrained heptapeptide developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin as a molecular shuttle for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Identified through M13 phage display screening against BBB models, Pep-3 facilitates the transport of various cargoes—ranging from small molecules to large macromolecules—into the brain parenchyma via transcytosis. Unlike other BBB-crossing peptides such as angiopep-2, Pep-3 demonstrates superior diffusive transport through the brain's extracellular matrix (ECM). It is currently being investigated as a research-stage delivery vector for the treatment of various central nervous system (CNS) diseases, showing promise in both in vitro and in vivo models for systemic administration.