A new way to enter the cell using superchaotropic properties of boron clusters
Published Date: 3/23/2022
Source: phys.org
The internalization of impermeable molecules into cells is a current challenge in drug development, as many water-soluble bioactive molecules cannot cross the cell membrane. To facilitate the cell entry of these molecules, artificial transporters, such as polymers, lipids, or cationic penetrating peptides, have been devised. To date, most of these carriers have been conceived relying on one particular property that allow them to cross the lipid bilayer: the amphiphilicity. Amphiphilic molecules possess differentiated regions that allow them to interact with the water-soluble cargo and the lipid membrane. All membrane carriers known until today share a similar molecular amphiphilicity that allows them to interact with the amphiphilic membrane. However, these transporters usually face limitations due to intrinsic features of amphiphilic molecules, like for example, the toxicity associated to their detergent-like behavior that can damage cell membranes, or their aggregation tendency, which can limit the concentrations at which they can be useful.