Branched Amphipathic Peptide Capsules: Different Ratios of the Two Constituent Peptides Direct Distinct Bilayer Structures, Sizes, and DNA Transfection Efficiency
Branched amphipathic peptide capsules (BAPCs) are biologically derived, bilayer delimited, nanovesicles capable of being coated by or encapsulating a wide variety of solutes. The vesicles and their cargos are readily taken up by cells and…
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Organization and Structure of Branched Amphipathic Oligopeptide Bilayers
A class of self-assembling branched amphiphilic peptide capsules (BAPCs) was recently developed that could serve as a new drug delivery vehicle. BAPCs can encapsulate solutes up to ∼12 kDa during assembly, are unusually stable, and…
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Gene Delivery and Immunomodulatory Effects of Plasmid DNA Associated with Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules
We recently reported on a new class of branched amphiphilic peptides that associate with double stranded DNA and promote in vitro transfection of eukaryotic cells. In the present study, we tested a different formulation in…
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A Review of Solute Encapsulating Nanoparticles used as Delivery Systems with Emphasis on Branched Amphipathic Peptide Capsules
Various strategies are being developed to improve delivery and increase the biological half-lives of pharmacological agents. To address these issues, drug delivery technologies rely on different nano-sized molecules including: lipid vesicles, viral capsids and nano-particles….
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Thermally Induced Conformational Transitions in Nascent Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules
Branched amphiphilic peptide capsules (BAPCs) are biocompatible, bilayer delimited polycationic nanospheres that spontaneously form at room temperature through the coassembly of two amphiphilic branched peptides: bis(FLIVI)-K-K4 and bis(FLIVIGSII)-K-K4. BAPCs are readily taken up by cells…
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Branched Amphiphilic Cationic Oligopeptides Form Peptiplexes with DNA: A Study of Their Biophysical Properties and Transfection Efficiency
Over the past decade, peptides have emerged as a new family of potential carriers in gene therapy. Peptides are easy to synthesize and quite stable. Additionally, sequences shared by the host proteome are not expected…
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Synthetic In Vitro Delivery Systems for Plasmid DNA in Eukaryotes
Success for gene therapy clinical protocols depends on the design of safe and efficient gene carriers. Nature had already designed efficient DNA or RNA delivery devices, namely virus particles. However, they have a propensity to…
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Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules: Cellular Uptake and Retention of Encapsulated Solutes
Branched amphiphilic peptide capsules (BAPCs) are peptide nano-spheres comprised of equimolar proportions of two branched peptide sequences bis(FLIVI)-K-KKKK and bis(FLIVIGSII)-K-KKKK that self-assemble to form bilayer delimited capsules. In two recent publications we described the lipid…
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