Taurine Boosts Intracellular Delivery of Functional Molecules (Brandeis Ref. 1160)

Internalization of functional molecules is the basis for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases. Unfortunately, the delivery of biologically active molecules into cells is prevented by the non-permeable plasma cell membrane. Cell penetrating proteins (CPPs) are traditionally used to facilitate the cellular uptake of various cargo, but CPPs are limited by their susceptibility to metabolic degradation, dependency on cell lines, and poor cellular compatibility. The present invention relies on the covalent conjugation of taurine to a D-peptidic hydrogel precursor to overcome the limitations of non-permeable cell membranes and CPPs. Taurine-promoted cellular uptake boosts intracellular delivery by 10X and eliminates immune response, poor stability, and toxicity caused by CPPs. This is novel strategy for targeted intracellular enzyme instructed self-assembly of hydrogels for cancer treatment and may serve as an effective method to deliver therapeutic agents, genes, proteins, and siRNA through otherwise impervious cellular membranes into targeted cells. Rong Zhou zhourong@brandeis.edu 7817368753