Overview
- A peer-reviewed paper published May 21, 2026 in Nature reports that researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and Skape Bio used AI to design miniproteins under 100 amino acids that act as either agonists or antagonists for G protein‑coupled receptors.
- The team built a native‑receptor, high‑throughput screening system that tests designed proteins directly against full‑length GPCRs in living human cells and can evaluate on the order of 100,000 designs per campaign.
- Cryo‑EM structures for several miniproteins closely matched their computational models, supporting the accuracy of the all‑computational design pipeline and its ability to stabilize specific active or inactive receptor states.
- In mouse studies one designed antagonist matched the efficacy of a clinical drug while showing fewer side effects, but all results remain preclinical and will require further optimization and safety testing before human trials.
- Skape Bio is commercializing the combined design and screening platform, has disclosed provisional patent activity and declared competing interests, and plans to advance internal programs and industry partnerships focused on metabolic, inflammatory, and neurological GPCR targets.