Genetic network guards against DNA damage
Date: 5.4.2006
CHICAGO -- University of Illinois scientists say they've developed an innovative strategy of mixing lipids and nanoparticles to produce new drug delivery vehicles.
"This is a new way to make nano-size capsules of a biologically friendly material," said Steve Granick, a professor of materials science and engineering, chemistry and physics. "The hollow, deformable and biofunctional capsules could be used in drug delivery, colloidal-based biosensors and enzyme-catalyzed reactions."
Lipids are the building blocks of cell membranes. The construction of useful artificial lipid vesicles was previously not possible, because the vesicles were too delicate. Granick and graduate student Liangfang Zhang found a way to stabilize lipids and stop their destruction.
The researchers describe their technique in a paper accepted for publication in the journal Nano Letters, and posted on its Web site.
"Source":[ http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20060306-20550500-bc-us-nanoparticles.xml].
