Cell Penetrating Peptide Modulation of Membrane Biomechanics by Molecular Dynamics

The efficacy of a pharmaceutical treatment is often countered by the inadequate membrane permeability, that prevents drugs from reaching their specific intracellular targets. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are able to route across cells ’ membrane various types of cargo, including drugs and nanoparticles. However, CPPs internalization mechanisms are not yet fully understood and depend on a wide variety of aspects. In this contest, the entry of a CPP into the lipid bilayer might induce molecular conformational changes, including m arked variations on membrane’s mechanical properties.

Source: Journal of Biomechanics - April 4, 2018 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Gianvito Grasso, Stefano Muscat, Martina Rebella, Umberto Morbiducci, Alberto Audenino, Andrea Danani, Marco A. Deriu Source Type: research