2014 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
合成分子の細胞内自己組織化を利用した選択的ガン細胞殺傷
Project/Area Number |
25630380
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Research Institution | Kobe University |
Principal Investigator |
丸山 達生 神戸大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30346811)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
|
Keywords | 自己組織化 / ナノファイバー / 細胞内送達 / ガン細胞 / 選択的殺傷 / ペプチド |
Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
本研究では、
Molecular self-assembly provides diverse approaches to construct nanostructured or multifunctional materials at various scales and dimensions. Here we report cancer cell death initiated by the intracellular molecular self-assembly of a peptide lipid, which served as a gelator precursor. The gelator precursor was designed to form nanofibres via molecular self-assembly, after cleavage by a cancer-related enzyme (matrix metalloproteinase-7, MMP-7), leading to hydrogelation. The precursor exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity to 5 different cancer cell lines, while it exhibited low cytotoxicity to normal cells that secreted small amounts of MMP-7. Cancer cells secrete excessive amounts of MMP-7, which converted the precursor into a supramolecular gelator prior to its uptake by the cells. Once inside the cells, the supramolecular gelator formed a gel via molecular self-assembly, exerting stress upon the cancer cells. The present study thus describes a new drug where molecular self-assembly acts as the mechanism of cytotoxicity.
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