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Frontiers In The Self-Assembly Of Charged Macromolecules, Khatcher O. Margossian
Frontiers In The Self-Assembly Of Charged Macromolecules, Khatcher O. Margossian
Doctoral Dissertations
The self-assembly of charged macromolecules forms the basis of all life on earth. From the synthesis and replication of nucleic acids, to the association of DNA to chromatin, to the targeting of RNA to various cellular compartments, to the astonishingly consistent folding of proteins, all life depends on the physics of the organization and dynamics of charged polymers. In this dissertation, I address several of the newest challenges in the assembly of these types of materials. First, I describe the exciting new physics of the complexation between polyzwitterions and polyelectrolytes. These materials open new questions and possibilities within the context …
Ligand-Receptor Interactions For Supramolecular Disassembly With Applications In Screening And Drug Delivery, Diego Amado Torres
Ligand-Receptor Interactions For Supramolecular Disassembly With Applications In Screening And Drug Delivery, Diego Amado Torres
Doctoral Dissertations
Proteins have the capacity to bind specific sets of compounds known as ligands, these are small molecules with a recurrent theme in their molecular design that is a characteristic exploited here to (i) identify particular affinities of small molecules for proteins with the aim of using them as ligands, inhibitors, or targeting moieties in more complex systems by means of a methodology that screens small molecules based on protein affinity; (ii) decorate a self-assembling supramolecular system at different positions, making it responsive to a complementary protein with the aim of exploring differences in disassembly and sensitivity of the release of …
Turning Stealth Liposomes Into Cationic Liposomes For Anticancer Drug Delivery, Vijay Gyanani
Turning Stealth Liposomes Into Cationic Liposomes For Anticancer Drug Delivery, Vijay Gyanani
University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations
Targeting the anticancer agents selectively to cancer cells is desirable to improve the efficacy and to reduce the side effects of anticancer therapy. Previously reported passive tumor targeting by PEGylated liposomes (stealth liposomes) have resulted in their higher tumor accumulation. However their interaction with cancer cells has been minimal due to the steric hindrance of the PEG coating. This dissertation reports two approaches to enhance the interaction of stealth liposomes with cancer cells. First, we designed a lipid-hydrazone-PEG conjugate that removes the PEG coating at acidic pH as in the tumor interstitium. However, such a conjugate was highly unstable on …