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Fluorescently Labeled Sirnas And Their Theranostic Applications In Cancer Gene Therapy, Stephen David Kozuch Aug 2018

Fluorescently Labeled Sirnas And Their Theranostic Applications In Cancer Gene Therapy, Stephen David Kozuch

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Gene therapy has emerged as a promising precision nano-medicine strategy in the treatment of numerous diseases including cancer. At the forefront of its utility are the applications of short-interfering RNA (siRNA), that silence oncogenic mRNA expression leading to cancer cell death through the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Despite the therapeutic potential, siRNAs are limited by poor pharmacological properties, which has hindered their translation into the clinic. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the applications of modified siRNAs, including the use of fluorescent probes and siRNA nanostructures in cancer detection and treatment. The siRNAs reported in this thesis are designed to target …


Site-Selective Modification Of Peptides And Proteins Via Organocatalyzed Henry Reaction, Zilma Pereira Muneeswaran May 2018

Site-Selective Modification Of Peptides And Proteins Via Organocatalyzed Henry Reaction, Zilma Pereira Muneeswaran

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In this research, peptides and protein containing serine on the N-terminus underwent site-selective modification following organocatalyzed bioconjugation that offered an additional functional group. It was shown that transforming the N-terminus serine to an aldehyde allowed site-specific bioconjugation to occur by utilizing the well-known Henry reaction. This method also grants a safer pathway for bioconjugation utilizing “green-chemistry” and biocompatible conditions. Amino acids and amino acid derived organocatalysts were utilized in the Henry reaction resulting in yields of up to 86 % conversion. Promising preliminary results were achieved in this research using peptides and myoglobin as the bioconjugation targets. Further investigation to …