Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SupraRNA (A Comprehensive Supramolecular Approach for an RNA vaccine for Influenza A (H1N1))
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-05-01 al 2022-04-30
Further the knowledge gained has paved the way for DNA/RNA vaccines against other diseases to be developed in the future.
Overall, this proposal aims to lay the groundwork for extending the scope of nucleic acid vaccines by exploring the potential of supramolecular assemblies as a delivery vector. A series of π-amphiphiles have been synthesized to prepare supramolecularly assembled nucleic acid delivery system for the vaccination of influenza A H1N1 strain. The central π-amphiphile moiety has been functionalized with the nucleic acid strand via a redox responsive disulfide bond, and hydrophilic oligo-oxy aryl groups connected via a hydrogen bonding unit to promote self-assembly. Steric stabilization has been afforded to the surface decorated nucleic acid nanoparticles to protect from enzymatic hydrolysis in the complex biological environments, through co-assembly with an analogue π-amphiphile which has been alternatively decorated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. The therapeutic efficacy of the nano-assembly has been evaluated through transfection efficacy in macrophage cell lines.
Dr. Sikder has presented her results at various national and international conferences (American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2021 (Poly division), “Biomaterials Translation Workshop 2022, Recent Appointees in Polymer Science-2021, RSC Virtual Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry Seminar) as well as at the regular meetings organized by the polymer, supramolecular and biological chemistry communities (ECR MASC Meeting 2022, Mcbain Medal Symposium, PERCAT Postdoctoral Researcher Conference 2021). This has helped Dr. Sikder to further collaborate in future with scientific leaders and has increased her contacts.
For the initial few months of the of the project starting date, COVID-19 pandemic caused most of the planned dissemination results and activities to be cancelled or postponed. To make effective use of the time under lockdown, Dr. Sikder has worked on a review article and was published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials. Further a paper on preparation of diverse supramolecular nanostructure by utilising various non-covalent interactions has been published in Nanoscale. All the research article was made available as open access (OA) article. Another review on preparation of self-assembled nanoparticles has been written and published in 'Accounts of Chemical Research'. EU funding has been acknowledged in all the public engagement activities undertaken during the period of the fellowship, as well as in the publications that are published and those that are currently about to be published.
Together, this research proposal is expected to make impact on the UK research community in the area of drug delivery, specifically in efficient synthesis and self-assembly of fluorescent nanostructures. Particularly the combination of expertise of the fellow and UK host has allowed for research advances which can add to the existing knowledge base and inspire novel approaches to treatments. Particularly, the exploration of nucleic acid delivery for vaccinations has provided a new research direction in the UK group, and influence current projects towards real-world applications.
Further, this partnering of international excellence has supported the development of a well-trained research community and further raise the profile of emerging leaders in Indian polymer science. By undertaking this research project at the University of Birmingham, a recognized world-leader in materials science, Dr. Sikder has participated in research at the frontier of the field and have accessed to some of the best equipment (and technical support) in the world for polymer synthesis and analysis. The fellow will bring back to India this precious research experience and also the new networks formed through this fellowship, to inspire others and also shape her future career.