Membrane fusion in drug delivery – mechanistic insights

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Membrane fusion is a fundamental process in drug delivery, where therapeutic cargo is enclosed within lipid-based carriers that must fuse with target cell membranes to release their contents. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of membrane fusion is critical for enhancing the efficiency and precision of drug delivery systems. In our lab, we focus on elucidating these mechanisms using advanced fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. Specifically, we investigate how newly synthesized lipid formulations facilitate the initial steps of fusion between drug carriers and target membranes. By visualizing and quantifying these interactions at a molecular level, we aim to gain mechanistic insights into the fusion process to optimize drug delivery strategies.

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Selected publications: 

•  Os, W. L. Van; Wielaert, L.; Alter, C.; Davidovi, D.; Šachl, R.; Kock, T.; Ugueto, U.; Arias-alpizar, G.; Lozano, F.; Knol, R. A.; Kuster, R.; Romeijn, S.; Lopez, N.; Detampel, P.; Kros, A.; Hof, M. Lipid Conjugate Dissociation Analysis Improves the in Vivo Understanding of Lipid-Based Nanomedicine. J. Control. Release 2024, 371 (May), 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.05.034.

• (1) Mora, N. L.; Boyle, A. L.; Kolck, B. J. Van; Rossen, A.; Pokorná, Š.; Koukalová, A.; Šachl, R.; Hof, M.; Kros, A. Controlled Peptide-Mediated Vesicle Fusion Assessed by Simultaneous Dual-Colour Time- Lapsed Fluorescence Microscopy. Sci. Rep. 2020, 10, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59926-z.

• Koukalová, A.; Pokorná, Š.; Boyle, A. L.; Lopez Mora, N.; Kros, A.; Hof, M.; Šachl, R. Distinct Roles of SNARE-Mimicking Lipopeptides during Initial Steps of Membrane Fusion. Nanoscale 2018, 4, 19064–19073. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR05730C.