PH-sensitive polymer micelles provide selective and potentiated lytic capacity to venom peptides for effective intracellular delivery.

ABSTRACT: Endocytosed biomacromolecule delivery systems must escape the endosomal trafficking pathway in order for their cargo to exert effects in other cellular compartments. Although endosomal release is well-recognized as one of the greatest barriers to efficacy of biologic drugs with intracellular targets, most drug carriers have relied on cationic materials that passively induce endosomal swelling and membrane rupture with low efficiency. To address the endosome release challenge, our lab has developed a diblock copolymer system for nucleic acid delivery that selectively displays a potent membrane-lytic peptide (melittin) in response to the pH drop during the endosomal maturation. To further optimize this system, we evaluated a panel of peptides with reported lytic activity in comparison to mel

SUBMITTER: Peeler DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6331286 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature