Hold On Tight: Permanent Attachment of Proteins to Na**particles for Potential HIV Vaccine Therapy
[IMG]http://cdn.medgadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/na**particles-for-hiv-vaccine.jpg[/IMG]The image above illustrates how Proteins (copper-colored coils) modified with polyhistidine-tags (green diamonds) can be attached to Na**particles (red circle). Credit: Jonathan Lovell.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have developed a simple chemical approach to permanently*attach Proteins to na**particles, which could lead to the development of a new HIV vaccine. While*na**particle-based delivery of Proteins to areas of interest such as tumors is **t uncommon, this*method is a significant improvement from existing tech**logy, due to the “velcro” chemistry that*tightly binds the Proteins to the na**particles. The research, recently published in the journal Nature*Chemistry, involves the use of Na**particles called liposomes (made from phospholipids, which make*up the cell membrane) incorporated with chlorophyll (the pigment that makes leaves look green) and*cobalt (a metal used in batteries and dental prosthetics).
The Proteins are modified with a chain of*ami** acids, called a poyhistidine tag. When the Proteins and Na**particles are mixed in water, the*chain tightly embeds into the outer layer of the na**particle, with the rest of the protein sticking out*like tentacles (pictured). When this system was tested with a vaccine delivery agent (adjuvant) and a*HIV peptide, it triggered a strong immune response against HIV. Considering how hard it is to find a*vaccination for HIV, the Potential for this research to turn into an actual therapy is quite tangible.
04-30-2015, 11:31 PM
Hold On Tight: Permanent Attachment of Proteins to Na**particles for Potential HIV Va
العرض العادي
