Production of polymersome vesicles for bioanalytical applications in cancer research

• Grant number: 13/15892-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 14, 2013
• End date: December 13, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Emanuel Carrilho
• Grantee: Beatriz Nogueira Messias de Miranda
• Supervisor: David A. Weitz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/16364-6 - Cloning, expression and purification of folate receptor alpha precursor from Homo sapiens for bioanalytical applications for cancer research, BP.MS

Abstract

Cancer cells have specific receptors with high affinity to folate and are highly replicative. Alpha folate receptor (FR-±) are extracellular proteins with specific biochemical properties, since with rare exceptions, it is induced selectively in cancerous tissues and rarely expressed in normal cells, being highly sensitive and specific. Aiming disease detection, our group reported the use of a new type of biosensors for the detection of biomarkers in urine, blood, or other body fluids providing simple operation, low cost, and high speed for cancer diagnosis. Although, more tests are still needed to determine the detection limits, kinetic constants, and binding affinities between proteins and ligand could be obtained in the proposed biosensor. In order to make this technology applicable we are trying to create a biomimetic cancer cell that would help us in improving the technology before applying to real disease cases. Biological samples are not always available in chemistry labs, so we are producing FR-± heterologously and our ultimate goal is to immobilize FR-± on a microsystem mimicking a cancer cell that will become an analytical standard for studies with our biosensors. Since our limitation is the lack of the technologies and expertize in particle synthesis, we propose this Research Internships Abroad (BEPE) project, in collaboration with Professor David Weitz group for an internship in which the student will learn about production of polymersome vesicles. It would be of extreme value to both the student and to our research group, which is intending to investigate biochips and biomimetic chips. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MESSIAS MIRANDA, BEATRIZ NOGUEIRA; FOTORAN, WESLEY LUZETTI; CANDURI, FERNANDA; FERREIRA SOUZA, DULCE HELENA; WUNDERLICH, GERHARD; CARRILHO, EMANUEL. Heterologous expression of Homo sapiens alpha-folate receptors in E. coli by fusion with a trigger factor for enhanced solubilization. Protein Expression and Purification, v. 142, p. 75-80, FEB 2018. (11/16364-6, 08/57805-2, 13/15892-4, 09/54040-8)