Project description
Peptide delivery through hybrid nanoparticles
Various peptide-based biologics are being developed, but their poor intracellular delivery impedes their widespread application. The EU-funded DynaPIC project will develop a strategy for protecting these peptides and ensuring their efficient delivery within cells. Researchers will employ dynamic covalent bonds to produce hybrid peptide–polymer nanoparticles with cell-targeting and permeation properties. Functionalisation with specific surface ligands will ensure specificity, while cellular uptake of these nanoparticles will trigger their disassembly and cargo release inside the cells. These hybrid peptide nanoparticles can be utilised as antimicrobial agents to kill pathogens inside infected cells.
Objective
The therapeutic action of many peptides is limited by their poor stability in biological media and lack of cell specificity. In particular, cationic peptide amphiphiles are promising antimicrobial tools, but their targeted delivery inside infected host cells to kill intracellular pathogens remains challenging. Our goal is to develop a new supramolecular strategy to protect these peptides and provide them with cell specificity towards their safe and efficient intracellular delivery.
In this project, we will combine dynamic covalent bonds, supramolecular, peptide and polymer chemistry, together with chemical biology, to develop a conceptually new targeted drug delivery platform: Hybrid polymer/peptide self-assembled nanoparticles combining stimuli-responsive, cell-penetrating and cell-targeting properties will be applied to the intracellular delivery of cationic peptide amphiphiles inside infected cells.
We will prepare combinatorial libraries of cationic peptide amphiphiles that will be screened for membrane permeation and antimicrobial activity to find suitable dual-action peptides for intracellular application. These amphiphilic peptides will be self-assembled with anionic stimuli-responsive polymers into organic nanoparticles designed to disassemble and release their cargo upon cellular uptake, in response to pH reduction in the endosome. Under these conditions, the dynamic bonds present in the peptide amphiphiles can be broken to release conjugated molecules of interest (e.g. drugs, fluorescent probes, etc.). Cell targeting will be achieved by controlling nanoparticle size and by decorating the polymers with ligands for specific recognition by cellular receptors. Dual-action peptides will diffuse across cellular compartments to attack pathogens in the cytosol. The biological activity of peptides and nanoparticles will be assessed with advanced chemical biology and imaging techniques in suitable biological models.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
15782 Santiago De Compostela
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.