title: Soft structure formation and cancer cell transport mechanisms of a folic acid-dipeptide conjugate.
abstract: Folic acid (FA) is a low-molecular-weight micronutrient, which plays a critical role in the prevention of birth defects and cancers. It is also essential for biochemical pathways responsible for DNA synthesis and maintenance and for the generation of new red blood cells. Cellular trafficking of FA and folate is based on its high-affinity binding to cognate folate receptor, a protein commonly expressed in several human cancers. Thus, folate conjugates of drugs, plasmids, biosensors, contrast, and radiodiagnostic imaging agents have been used for assisted delivery in folate receptor-positive cancer cells, via endocytosis pathways. This report describes morphologies of soft structures from a fully characterized FA-dipeptide conjugate and detailed mechanistic studies of its cancer cell uptake, as tracked by the inherent fluorescence of the conjugate.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India.
authors: Gagandeep
authors: G
authors: Kaur
authors: Akansha
authors: A
authors: Shukla
authors: Sri
authors: S
authors: Sivakumar
authors: Sandeep
authors: S
authors: Verma
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004151:Dipeptides; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D015195:Drug Design; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored / Q000378:metabolism; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D058726:Nanoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D058726:Nanoconjugates; C026650:phenylalanylphenylalanine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D005492:Folic Acid
keywords: cell delivery; diphenylalanine; folic acid; self-assembly