Australian scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking protein engineering platform called PROTEUS that promises to revolutionize the development of next-generation medical therapies. Developed by researchers at the Centenary Institute in Sydney, in partnership with the University of Sydney, PROTEUS enables the directed evolution of proteins within mammalian cells, offering a more effective way to design treatments tailored to the human body.
“Directed evolution is a powerful method for developing proteins with specific properties, but it’s usually done in bacteria or yeast, which don’t replicate the complexity of human cells,” said Daniel Hesselson, joint senior author of the study and head of the Center for Biomedical AI at the Centenary Institute. “PROTEUS brings this process into mammalian cells, creating a more relevant environment for therapeutic development.“
Traditional methods of protein evolution rely on simpler organisms like bacteria or yeast, which can limit the effectiveness of the resulting therapies when applied to human diseases. PROTEUS overcomes this hurdle by using virus-like particles to induce mutations and select proteins with enhanced functions directly within mammalian cells, all without harming the host cells.
In early experiments, the researchers successfully improved a gene-regulating protein and evolved a nanobody that detects DNA damage—a crucial factor in cancer research. These advancements could pave the way for new treatments in gene therapy and disease research.
“By bringing directed evolution into mammalian cells, PROTEUS is opening the door to developing new therapies that are more effective and designed to function where they’re needed—in the human body,” said Alex Cole, joint first author of the study from the Centenary Institute’s Center for Biomedical AI.
The study detailing the PROTEUS platform has been published in the journal Nature Communications, signaling a significant leap forward in biomedical research and the potential for innovative medical treatments.
