Novel Engineered Ion Channel Provides Controllable Ion Permeability for Polyelectrolyte Microcapsules Coated with a Lipid Membrane

✍ Scribed by Andrew R. Battle; Stella M. Valenzuela; Adam Mechler; Ryan J. Nichols; Slavica Praporski; Isabelle L. di Maio; Hedayetul Islam; Agnès P. Girard-Egrot; Bruce A. Cornell; Jog Prashar; Frank Caruso; Lisandra L. Martin; Donald K. Martin

• Book ID: 101416386
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 490 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1616-301X
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200800483

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The development of nanostructured microcapsules based on a biomimetic lipid bilayer membrane (BLM) coating of poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) polyelectrolyte hollow microcapsules is reported. A novel engineered ion channel, gramicidin (bis‐gA), incorporated into the lipid membrane coating provides a functional capability to control transport across the microcapsule wall. The microcapsules provide transport and permeation for drug‐analog neutral species, as well as positively and negatively charged ionic species. This controlled transport can be tuned for selective release biomimetically by controlling the gating of incorporated bis‐gA ion channels. This system provides a platform for the creation of “smart” biomimetic delivery vessels for the effective and selective therapeutic delivery and targeting of drugs.