NANOCARB · Self-selection of a multivalent nanosystem for carbohydrate recognition

Self-selection of a multivalent nanosystem for carbohydrate recognition

Carbohydrates are one of the most fundamental molecules in living systems. The functioning of cellular system like signal transduction, cell-to-cell communication, cell adhesion, and even cancer metastasis are controlled by carbohydrates. It is therefore necessary to find proper ways of recognizing carbohydrates not only to understand cellular phenomena but also because carbohydrates are imperative biomarkers as well as therapeutics for different pathologies, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers etc. Also, the specific binding of different proteins with cell surface carbohydrate receptors is the most decisive event in governing cell functioning. In this context, the NANOCARB project has the objective to build up an original method for the development of an innovative class of carbohydrate receptors using dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) on the surface of a gold nanoparticle. Dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) relies on the spontaneous shift in the composition of a library of interconverting molecules upon the addition of a target. This eliminates the problem of rational design as the selection is performed by the molecules themselves. In the past decade, DCC has emerged as a powerful tool for the development of receptors, catalysts, and materials. The combination of monolayer protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and DCC might add a new dimension for the development of protein-like receptors or sensors for carbohydrates due to several attractive features i) multivalency, ii) high stability of the nanosystems in physiologically relevant conditions, iii) intrinsic photochemical properties originating from the gold core. A positive outcome of the project is a deeper understanding of how multivalent interactions can be used to regulate (bio)chemical processes. It has been shown, using gold nanoparticles and other surfactant-based multivalent systems, that multivalency can be exploited to create structures for sensing and catalysis under physiologically relevant conditions. DCC has been used to develop sensing systems able to detect toxic heavy metal ions at nanomolar concentrations in water. The development of these concepts took longer than foreseen and two years of research has been insufficient to implement this system for carbohydrate recognition. Promising initial results have been obtained which validate the chosen approach.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union