Structural characterization of cationic bilayers containing disialoganglioside Gd3

• Grant number: 19/17207-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2020
• End date: December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Julio Henrique Kravcuks Rozenfeld
• Grantee: Anna Clara de Freitas Couto
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Vaccine adjuvants intensify immune responses against co-inoculated antigens and depend on biophysical properties to be efficient. Disialoganglioside GD3 is an endogenous glycolipid overexpressed by cancer cells and is recognized as an antigen by immune cells that are able to trigger important responses in the activation of cell death processes against cancer. Due to its physical and chemical characteristics, the cationic lipid DODAB can serve as an adequate carrier for GD3. Hence, the aim of this project is to characterize the structure of cationic DODAB bilayers containing different molar fractions of GD3. This biophysical characterization will employ techniques such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and fluorescence microscopy of giant vesicles. (AU)