Year: 2008
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In this Thesis the synthesis of various Newkome-type polyamine dendrons and their DNA binding properties is presented. These cationic dendrons bind DNA with extremely high affinity through multivalent ionic interactions. Dendrons with o-nitrobenzyl linked surface groups can be cleaved from the dendron framework by optical irradiation resulting in rapid release of the covalently bound surface groups and non-covalently bound DNA, due to dendron degradation and charge switching multivalency. N-maleimido cored dendrons can be attached onto protein surfaces in site-specific manner to yield exactly defined one-to-one protein-polymer conjugates, where the number of dendrons and their attachment site on the protein surface is precisely known. The resulting protein-dendron conjugates bind DNA with high affinity. Further studies in gene transfection, cytotoxicity and self-assembly establish relevance in gene therapy and surface patterning.
Source: Aaltodoc (Aalto University)
Author: Mauri A. Kostiainen
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2595398938