Group Members
Simon Hucko
Junior, Department of Chemistry
Minor: Biomedical Engineering
Research Interest
The delivery of viable DNA into cells in vivo is a challenging, poorly understood process. Many different methods have been tried, most with limited success. A very promising delivery method has been discovered using short chain peptides to package the DNA and help shuttle it through the cellular defense mechanisms. The peptide of interest for this study is complexed poly-L-lysine. Poly-L-lysine (PLL), on its own, is not a very effective transfection agent. Because of its basic nature, it is able to package DNA, but then has difficulty entering the cell and breaking through the lysosomal vacuole to deliver the vector. In order to promote transfection, a series of modifications will be made, changing the physical properties of the PLL. In the initial experiment performed this spring, PLL was complexed with imidazoleacetic acid, creating a polymer with both hydrophobic and basic residues. The amphipathic nature of the functional groups allows the complex to act as both a packaging agent and a delivery vehicle. A continuation of this experiment will be run, analyzing the effect of different modifications to the side-chains. Ultimately, using a comparison of physical properties, as well as cell-line testing, a set of characteristics that promote transfection will be compiled, and the carrier molecules refined to promote better delivery with lower cytotoxicity.
