RESEARCH & OBJECTIVES
Main Objectives of Study
O1. Development of new cationic polymers based on engineered proteins (silk sericin, silk fibroin) by bio-functional modifications
O2. Development of nanocarrier vectors based on engineered protein frameworks
O3. Efficiency evaluation of the non-viral vectors
NANOVEC has ambitious research results that may contribute to the knowledge in the field of cancer gene therapy.
1. Development of cationic polymers based on engineered proteins by biofunctionalization.
2. Development of polymeric nanocarriers based on engineered protein templates.
3. Development of non-viral vectors containing gene sequences
4. Complex physico-chemical, morphological, structural, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of proteins, modified proteins, nanocarriers and non-viral vectors. These results are very important to gain important knowledge about non-viral vectors.
5. Dissemination of the results by national/international conferences, ISI papers in journals from the field of chemistry, materials, polymers, biomaterials.
6. National patent proposal.
The present project is focused on the development of non-viral vectors based on polymeric nanoparticles for cancer gene therapy (mainly brain cancer). It aims to address a molecular level of gene delivery as a prospective remedial route for this terrible disease. This novel approach offers new insights into gene mutation specific for cancer expression by gene delivery via non-viral vectors. The non-viral vectors are based on specific polymeric nanoparticles with tunable chemistry in order to build specific gene transfection nanocarriers/nano-vectors.