Conferenciant: Dra. María Jesús Vicent, Polymer Therapeutics Lab. Centro Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia (Spain)
Polypeptides play a major role on relevant areas such as nanomedicine. The physico-chemical parameters of a polypeptide-conjugate, and hence its biological performance, are defined by an intricate interplay of multiple structural factors. This highlights the need for detailed structure-activity relationship studies. In this seminar, it will be proposed how to overcome the main classical limitations for the synthesis of defined polypeptides using precise controlled reactions followed by an adequate characterization yielding to well-defined polypeptidic architectures by NCA polymerization techniques, followed by post-polymerization techniques that allow the introduction of a variety of functionalities yielding a set of orthogonal reactive attachment sides. Using these techniques and following a bottom-up strategy the group has been able to obtain star-based polypeptide architectures with the capacity to self-assemble yielding supramolecular nanostructures with interesting properties. This strategy together with an adequate polymer-drug linker design enabled in vitro and in vivo evaluation. The results allow to envisage these systems as promising nanocarriers for therapeutic or diagnostic applications, especially in anti-cancer treatments, or for neurodegenerative disorders, spinal cord or acute kidney injuries.
