Seminario impartido por Silvia Hernández Ainsa, del Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA)
Nucleic acid nanotechnology is a unique synthetic tool for the reproducible preparation of biodegradable and tailored nanostructures. The fabrication process is programmable and robust as it relies on the accurate specificity of the Watson-Crick-Franklin base-pairing interactions. Remarkably, the dimensions and functionalities of these nucleic acid-based constructs can be customized and precisely controlled at the nanoscale level, which is key for some biomedical applications. In this seminar, I will show how we can exploit these unique characteristics to obtain innovative nucleic acid-based nanostructures (NANs) for therapeutic delivery and for bio-imaging purposes. Regarding therapeutic delivery, we have prepared a set of simple NANs with subtle structural modifications and investigated their overall capabilities as nanocarriers for chemotherapy by evaluating their biological stability, their cellular internalisation, their ability to trap the anticancer drug doxorubicin as well as their effect on the viability of cancer cells. We have also developed NANs for gene therapy finely folded with precise sequences for capturing specific microRNA (miR) whose overexpression is associated to cardiac dysfunction. Regarding bioimaging, we have developed NANs functionalised with contrast agents (CA) for photoacoustics (PA) tomography. These NANs presented good optical properties, adequate structural biostability and cell compatibility. Through in vivo studies, we have shown that such NANs exhibited retarded clearance rate and enhanced PA signal generation at tumour site when compared to the free CA. I will finally show the possibility to create hybrid carriers by adapting NANs to interact with synthetic liposomes as stimuli-responsive containers or with synthetic polymers through novel bio-conjugation strategies with the aim of maximising the biological performance of our nanomaterials.
Ponente del seminario: Silvia Hernández Ainsa
Fecha del seminario: 23/10/2024 12:00
Lugar del seminario: salón de actos del IQF
