ABSTRACTS FROM THE 2010 NANOBIO COLLABORATIVE (NBC) CONFERENCE

摘要

I will, in my first example, describe a class of protein-polymers-artificial recombinant polypeptides-that spontaneously undergo self-assembly upon conjugation to the cancer chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (Dox) and other small hydro-phobic molecules. These chimeric polypeptides (CPs) consist of a hydrophilic, biodegradable polypeptide segment that is attached to a short Cys-rich segment. Covalent modification of the Cys residues with a structurally diverse set of hydrophobic small molecules, including Dox, leads to the spontaneous formation of nanoparticles for a range of CP compositions and molecular weights. The CP-Dox nanoparticles are ~40 nm in diameter, release drug at pH 5.0 (relevant to endolysosomal release), are taken up by cells, show subsequent localization of the drug to the nucleus, and are cytotoxic.