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    STUDIA CHEMIA - Issue no. 4 / 2007  
         
  Article:   SUPRAMOLECULAR ORGANIZATION AND NANO STRUCTURATION OF COLLAGEN AND ANTI CANCER DRUGS.

Authors:  GHEORGHE TOMOAIA, VASILICA-DANIELA POP-TOADER, AURORA MOCANU, OSSI HOROVITZ, MARIA TOMOAIA-COTISEL.
 
       
         
  Abstract:   Several mixed biosystems comprising a fibrous protein, namely type 1 collagen (COL), which co-assemble with an anti-cancer drug, such as fluorouracil (FLU), doxorubicin (DOX) or lipoic acid (LA), to form ordered films on glass substrate, were visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained nanostructures show different morphology and stability of mixed assemblies made of COL:FLU, COL:DOX and COL:LA. The anti-cancer drugs appear to lead to supramolecular collagen structures with a remarkable level of nanoscale order on glass, which mimics natural protein assemblies. The obtained patterns, especially for COL:FLU biosystem, reflect a high level of internal order within the ordered molecules network. In these cases, the external order reflects high internal organization within these highly evolved systems. Using anti-cancer drugs to self assemble with collagen molecules we have more control over the collagen assembly process. This ability of anti-cancer drugs to control COL assembly brings further utility to the system as it allows additional compounds to be added to self assembly mixtures. In turn, it allows morphology and function of protein to be engineered. Due to current attention given to the design and production of novel bio-inspired materials for applications in nanoscience and nanobiotechnology our findings could offer a strong promise for nanoscale engineering of self-assembling systems. Direct incorporation of small molecules into the collagen assemblies represents a step toward rational design of nanostructured materials for potential applications in industry, medicine and synthetic biology, drug delivery systems and nanobiotechnology.  
         
     
         
         
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