ENZYME RESPONSIVE NANOCAPSULES FOR PROTEIN DELIVERY

摘要

The invention provides methods of making and using compositions comprising a polymer shell designed to deliver polypeptides to selected environments. In embodiments of the invention, different environmental conditions are harnessed to allow the selective degradation of the polymer shell and the consequential release of one or polypeptides encapsulated therein. In illustrative embodiments, polymer components of the shell are interconnected by peptide-containing crosslinker moieties, linkages which maintain the integrity of the polymer shell under certain environmental conditions, but can also be cleaved when combined with a selected protease.

主权项

1. A composition of matter comprising:
at least one polypeptide; a polymeric network, wherein:
polymers in the polymeric network are coupled together by a first crosslinking agent and a second crosslinking agent so as to form a shell that encapsulates the polypeptide;the first crosslinking agent comprises a peptide having an amino acid sequence that is cleaved by a protease; andthe second crosslinking agent does not comprises a peptide having an amino acid sequence that is cleaved by the protease;wherein the polymers, the first crosslinking agent and the second crosslinking agent are disposed within the polymeric network in an orientation so that proteolytic cleavage of the first crosslinking agent releases the polypeptide from the shell into an external environment.