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Hybrid Cyclic-Linear Cell-Penetrating Peptides Containing Alternative Positive And Hydrophobic Residues As Molecular Transporters, Sorour Khayyatnejad Shoushtari

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

The cell membrane properties create a significant obstacle in intracellular delivery of cell-impermeable and negatively charged molecules. Amphiphilic cyclic peptides containing alternative arginine and tryptophan such as [WR]₅ have been shown to enhance the transport of cargo molecules across the cell membrane. Herein, we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of hybrid cyclic-linear peptides containing alternative positive and hydrophobic amino acids on the ring and side-chain [(RW)₅]K(RW)_X (X=1-5) to compare their molecular transporter efficiency. The peptides were synthesized through Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis. Final compounds were purified by a reversed-phase HPLC (High …