Grove launches for protein-like polymers

Grove Biopharma has raised a $30 million series A round to develop Bionic Biologics, also known as protein-like polymers (PLP), which were invented by Nathan Gianneschi at Northwestern University. A PLP is a polymer of peptides that mimics a protein but is more stable and more cell permeable. It is composed of a hydrophobic, semiflexible backbone and hydrophilic ends. That structure causes the PLP to fold in on itself in an aqueous solution, mimicking a globular protein. According to Gianneschi, this property confers resistance to proteolytic degradation. But the polymer’s semiflexible, lipophilic backbone allows it to pass through cell membranes via passive diffusion, making PLPs ideal for targeting protein-protein interactions in the cell cytosol because they are not trapped in an endosome upon entry. “Small molecules are really good at inhibiting enzymes or binding to specific pockets on proteins,” says Grove CEO Geoffrey Duyk. But he adds that to handle