CYTOPLASMIC DELIVERY AND NUCLEAR TARGETING OF HPMA COPOLYMER-TAT CONJUGATES TO HUMAN OVARIAN CARCINOMA CELLS

摘要

The study was designed to verify the hypothesis that the attachment of protein transduction domains (PTDs) to water-soluble macromolecules will result in cytoplasmic delivery. To this end, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer - Tat (GRKKRRQRRRGYK(FITC)C) conjugate was synthesized and its subcellular fate after incubation with A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cells evaluated by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Preliminary data show cytoplasmic and nuclear accumulation of the conjugate by a non-endocytic pathway in a time dependent fashion.