Andrew Yang

Joint project with Jennifer Listgarten

New studies have demonstrated that the blood brain barrier, known for protecting the brain from the bloodstream, is not as impermeable as once thought. For example, brain function is remarkably sensitive to the signals in the blood, and there are proteins, such as transferrin, that are able to permeate the blood brain barrier. This project aims to further investigate brain-permeable proteins and receptors in the blood brain barrier with the goal of utilizing built-in transport pathways to deliver therapies for treating all kinds of neurological disease.

Getting Past the Problem: A Joint Project Explores Engineering Proteins to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier

August 6, 2024

By: Niki Borghei

Recent research has unveiled a surprising twist in our understanding of the blood-brain barrier, the protective shield that separates the brain from the bloodstream. Once thought to be a nearly impenetrable barrier, it’s now clear that it’s not as rigid as previously believed. 

One key finding is that certain proteins, like transferrin, are able to cross this barrier more easily than scientists had thought. For Jennifer Listgarten, a Professor in UC Berkeley’s EECS department , Center for Computational Biology, Bioengineering, and a member of the steering committee for the Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) Lab, this is a revelation that opens the door to incredible possibilities. 

In her joint Bakar Fellows Spark Award project with UCSF Assistant Professor of Neurology, Andrew Yang, they aim to explore these brain-permeable proteins and the receptors involved with the ultimate goal of delivering treatments directly to the brain. By tapping into these built-in transport systems, they hope to develop new therapies for a variety of neurological diseases, bringing fresh hope for better treatment options.

Q: What makes this new discovery about the blood-brain barrier so groundbreaking?

Dr. Listgarten: For the first time, we may be able to engineer proteins to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier. 

Q: How does it work?

A: We are combining Andy’s specialized knowledge and expertise about how to measure *which* proteins do make it past the blood brain barrier—to gather data—with my expertise in developing and leveraging machine learning (now called AI). Together, we can build predictive models and use machine learning-based “design algorithms” to first learn more about what patterns are associated with crossing the blood brain barrier, making causal hypotheses, testing these in the lab, and then leveraging this knowledge to generally engineer proteins to have this ability.

Q: Sounds like you both make a great team! How did you decide you wanted to embark on this entrepreneurial journey?

A: Andy got me interested in this particular biological application! And I’ve always been passionate about finding ways to change the world. We’re really excited about using entrepreneurship as a means to make an impact.

Q: What excites you about joining the Bakar Fellows Program?

A: This funding truly sparked the collaboration between Andy and I. We found each other because of it, and wouldn’t have dedicated funding to this joint endeavor without it. We’re looking forward to seeing the initial application of this project in a few years!