PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers engineer a hybrid 5 times more effective in delivering genetic material into cells

Study by team at NYU-Poly and NYU College of Dentistry may lay groundwork for better gene therapy

2013-12-17
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kathleen Hamilton
kathleen.hamilton@nyu.edu
718-260-3792
Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Researchers engineer a hybrid 5 times more effective in delivering genetic material into cells Study by team at NYU-Poly and NYU College of Dentistry may lay groundwork for better gene therapy Brooklyn, New York – Researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and the NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD) have developed a carrier in their lab that is five times more efficient in delivering DNA into cells than today's commercial delivery methods—reagent vectors. This novel complex is a peptide-polymer hybrid, assembled from two separate, less effective vectors that are used to carry DNA into cells.

Results of their study, "Long Term Efficient Gene Delivery Using Polyethylenimine with Modified Tat Peptide," were published in Biomaterials. The findings were the result of a collaborative research project conducted by Dr. Seiichi Yamano at NYUCD and Dr. Jin Montclare at NYU-Poly. The outcome of the study could help researchers better understand gene function and ultimately improve gene therapy.

Non-viral vectors such as those engineered in this study are used for transfection—the process of introducing foreign genetic material (in this case, DNA called a plasmid) into a cell. The vectors are essentially vehicles that carry the genetic matter into the cell. But transfection is not as easy. Cells are set up to keep things out of the nucleus. Even if the transported plasmid manages to permeate the cellular membrane, the cytoplasm within the cell has safeguards to stop anything from getting into the nucleus.

Traditionally, scientists have engineered viruses to carry out transfection, but viruses are problematic because cells recognize them as foreign and trigger the immune response. Virus transfection is extremely costly and presents numerous difficulties for mass processing. On the other hand, non-viral vectors do not trigger the immune system and are easily manufactured and modified for safe, more effective delivery. Their shortcoming is that they generally are effective only for short periods in transfection, as well as other forms of gene expression.

For this project, Yamano and Montclare paired a modified version of CPP HIV-1 (mTat) with PEI – a non-viral vector particularly effective for delivering oligonucleotides. In combining mTat and PEI, they built a new non-viral vector, more effective than mTat or PEI individually. They tested their reagent vector both in vitro—grown in a Petri dish—as well as for approximately seven months in a living organism--in vivo.

The vector may be used in the future for targeted gene therapy.

INFORMATION:

In addition to Montclare and Yamano, Drs. Jisen Dai, Shigeru Hanatani, Ken Haku, Takuto Yamanaka, Mika Ishioka and Tadahiro Takayama, all of the NYUCD Department of Prosthodontics; Carlo Yuvienco of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NYU-Poly; Sachin Khapli of the NYU Abu Dhabi Division of Engineering; and Amr Moursi of the NYUCD Department of Pediatric Dentistry also contributed to this project.

This research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) program, and the U.S. Army Research Office.

The Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and the Polytechnic University, now widely known as NYU-Poly) is an affiliated institute of New York University, and will become its School of Engineering in January 2014. NYU-Poly, founded in 1854, is the nation's second-oldest private engineering school. It is presently a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a 159-year tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. It remains on the cutting edge of technology, innovatively extending the benefits of science, engineering, management and liberal studies to critical real-world opportunities and challenges, especially those linked to urban systems, health and wellness, and the global information economy. In addition to its programs on the main campus in New York City at MetroTech Center in downtown Brooklyn, it offers programs around the globe remotely through NYUe-Poly. NYU-Poly is closely connected to engineering in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai and to the NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) also at MetroTech, while operating two incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. For more information, visit http://www.poly.edu.

The NYU College of Dentistry(NYUCD), founded in 1865 as the New York College of Dentistry, is the third oldest dental school in the country and the largest comprehensive oral health care center in the world, graduating approximately 8 percent of U.S. dentists annually. In 1925, the College officially merged with New York University, which led to the promotion of research and postdoctoral education. Today, NYUCD is recognized as a leading source for dental care in New York City and a leader in national research rankings and national policy issues in dentistry. NYUCD, a globally focused academic dental center, conducts the most extensive dental public health outreach programs in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nyu.edu/dental.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Spurred by food allergies, 2 esophagus conditions stump doctors

2013-12-17
Spurred by food allergies, 2 esophagus conditions stump doctors CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine found that two on-the-rise esophagus conditions are so similar that even a biopsy is not enough to distinguish ...

Cellulose nanocrystals possible 'green' wonder material

2013-12-17
Cellulose nanocrystals possible 'green' wonder material WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The same tiny cellulose crystals that give trees and plants their high strength, light weight and resilience, have now been shown to have the stiffness of steel. The nanocrystals might be ...

Research shows how household dogs protect against asthma and infection

2013-12-17
Research shows how household dogs protect against asthma and infection Study led by UCSF, U Michigan scientists points to changes in gut microbes Children's risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early ...

ORNL devises recipe to fine-tune diameter of silica rods

2013-12-17
ORNL devises recipe to fine-tune diameter of silica rods OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 16, 2013 – By controlling the temperature of silica rods as they grow, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could be setting the stage for advances ...

A universal RNA extraction protocol for land plants

2013-12-17
A universal RNA extraction protocol for land plants New method will facilitate next-generation sequencing and comparative studies of gene expression RNA, a nucleic acid involved in protein synthesis, is widely used in genetic research to study patterns of gene expression in different ...

U-M tinnitus discovery opens door to possible new treatment avenues

2013-12-17
U-M tinnitus discovery opens door to possible new treatment avenues Disruption of timing from sensory nerves underlies 'ringing in the ears' that plagues millions, including many veterans ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For tens of millions of Americans, there's no such ...

Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?

2013-12-17
Can a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away? UC Riverside-led team finds that moderate consumption of alcohol can improve immune response to vaccination RIVERSIDE, Calif. — It's the time of year when many of us celebrate the holidays with festive foods ...

Stanford researchers take a step toward developing a 'universal' flu vaccine

2013-12-17
Stanford researchers take a step toward developing a 'universal' flu vaccine Targeting the stem rather than the head of a critical protein is the challenging but promising tactic of a new study Every year the approach of flu season sets off a medical guessing ...

Minorities' health would benefit most from beverage sugar tax, UCSF researchers report

2013-12-17
Minorities' health would benefit most from beverage sugar tax, UCSF researchers report Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages is likely to decrease consumption, resulting in lower rates of diabetes and heart disease, and these health benefits are ...

'Automation addiction,' other airline flight issues could be mitigated by better user interface

2013-12-17
'Automation addiction,' other airline flight issues could be mitigated by better user interface Human factors/ergonomics experts conceptualize UI improvements that might prevent tragedy Amid news reports on the National Transportation Safety Board hearings regarding ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

[Press-News.org] Researchers engineer a hybrid 5 times more effective in delivering genetic material into cells
Study by team at NYU-Poly and NYU College of Dentistry may lay groundwork for better gene therapy