Title:Peptide modules for overcoming barriers of nucleic acids transport to cells
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Anna A. Egorova and Anton V. Kiselev
Affiliation:Laboratory of Prenatal Diagnostics of Inherited Diseases, D.O. Ott Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology, P.O. Box: 199034, Mendeleevskaya line, 3, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Keywords:Cell-penetrating peptides, Cross-linking peptides, DNA-condensing peptides, Dynein-binding peptides, Endosomolytic
peptides, Non-viral nucleic acids delivery, Nuclear localization signals, Receptor-mediated delivery.
Abstract:Absence of safe and efficient methods of nucleic acids delivery is one of the major issues
which limits the development of human gene therapy. Highly efficient viral vectors raise questions
due to safety reasons. Among non-viral vectors peptide-based carriers can be considered as good candidates
for the development of “artificial viruses” - multifunctional polyplexes that mimic viruses.
Suggested strategy to obtain multifunctionality is to combine several peptide modules into one modular
carrier. Different kinds of peptide modules are needed for successful overcoming barriers of nucleic
acids transport into the cells. Design of such modules and establishment of structure-function relationships
are issues of importance to researchers working in the field of nucleic acids delivery.
