Grzegorz Bulaj
Education
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Ph.D. 1993, University of Wroclaw, Poland
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M.Sc. 1989, Biochemistry, University of Wroclaw
Research Interests
The long-term goal of our research is to integrate digital therapeutics (DTx, mobile medical apps) with pharmaceutical drugs and biologics. Since mobile apps and video games have become the FDA-authorized “software as medical device” products, they can be combined with drug-based therapies by means of adjunct DTx or drug-device combination products. You can learn more about our approach to improve treatments of chronic diseases from our J Clin Med 2024 article, link: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/2/403.
Why digital health technologies? Because:
- They can mitigate limitations of pharmaceutical drugs (adverse effects, non-adherence, drug-resistance, affordability, shortages)
- Mobile app-based treatments can improve sustainability of health care by delivering self-management and empowerment, while promoting prevention of chronic conditions.
- The health care outcomes in the US are the worst among high-income countries despite the highest health care spending per capita in the world.
Research Subjects and Articles
Developing mobile medical app for reduction of epileptic seizures
Preclinical studies on “active ingredients” in digital therapeutics for pain and epilepsy
Music streaming as adjunct treatment of affective disorders
Mobile video game for children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy
Our research has also advanced development of neuropeptide-based drug leads for the treatments of epilepsy and pain. This collaborative project with Prof. Steve White and Prof. Cameron Metcalf yielded several galanin-based lead compounds such as NAX 505-5, NAX 409-9 and NAX 810-2 (a candidate for Investigational New Drug (IND) for the treatment of epilepsy). Our galanin-based compounds also exhibit analgesic properties, offering opportunities to develop first-in-class therapies for pain. Below are examples of our neuropeptide-based drug discovery and development efforts (in chronological order):
Publications
- Bulaj G, Green BR, Lee HK, Robertson CR, White K, Zhang L, Sochanska M, Flynn SP, Adkins Scholl E, Pruess TH, Smith MD, White HS (2008) Design, Synthesis and Characterization of High-Affinity, Systemically-Active Galanin Analogs with Potent Anticonvulsant Activities, J Med Chem. 51: 8038-47
- White HS, Scholl EA, Klein DB, Flynn SP, Pruess TH, Green BG, Zhang L, Bulaj G, (2009) Developing Novel Antiepileptic Drugs: Characterization of NAX 5055, a Systemically-Active Galanin Analog, in Epilepsy Models, NeuroTherapeutics. 6: 372-380
- Zhang L, Robertson CR, Green BR, Pruess T, White HS, Bulaj G, (2009) Structural Requirements for a Lipoamino Acid in Modulating the Anticonvulsant Activities of the Systemically-Active Galanin Analogs, J Med Chem, 52, 1310-16
- Robertson CR, Scholl EA, Pruess TH, Green BR, White HS, Bulaj G. (2010) Engineering Galanin Analogues that Discriminate between GalR1 and GalR2 Receptor Subtypes and Exhibit Anticonvulsant Activity following Systemic Delivery. J Med Chem. 53, 1871-5
- Zhang L, Klein BD, Metcalf CS, Smith MD, McDougle DR, Lee HK, White HS, Bulaj G (2013) Incorporation of monodisperse oligoethyleneglycol amino acids into anticonvulsant analogues of galanin and neuropeptide y provides peripherally acting analgesics. Mol Pharm. 10: 574-85.
- Green BR, Klein BD, Lee HK, Smith MD, Steve White H, Bulaj G (2013) Cyclic analogs of galanin and neuropeptide Y by hydrocarbon stapling. Bioorg Med Chem. 21: 303-10.
- Lee HK, Zhang L, Smith MD, Walewska A, Vellore NA, Baron R, McIntosh JM, White HS, Olivera BM, Bulaj G (2015) A marine analgesic peptide, Contulakin-G and neurotensin are distinct agonists for neurotensin receptors: uncovering structural determinants of desensitization properties. Front Pharmacol. 6: 11
- Metcalf CS, Klein BD, McDougle DR, Zhang L, Smith MD, Bulaj G, White HS (2015) Analgesic properties of a peripherally acting and GalR2 receptor-preferring galanin analog in inflammatory, neuropathic, and acute pain models. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 352: 185-93
- Metcalf CS, Klein BD, McDougle DR, Zhang L, Kaufmann D, Bulaj G, White HS (2017) Preclinical evaluation of intravenous NAX 810-2, a novel GalR2-preferring analog, for anticonvulsant efficacy and pharmacokinetics. Epilepsia. 58: 239-246
- Metcalf CS, Smith MD, Klein BD, McDougle DR, Zhang L, Bulaj G (2017) Preclinical Analgesic and Safety Evaluation of the GalR2-preferring Analog, NAX 810-2. Neurochem Res. 42: 1983-1994