The biochemical project “Synthetic cationic Nucleic Acid Delivery Vector: Chitosan -g- Poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide)” run by Assoc.Prof. Dr. Argun Talat GÖKÇEÖREN from ITU Chemistry Deparment was accepted by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) Directorate 1001 -  Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program (ARDEB).

Gene therapy, stands out as a method on behalf of cancer, but also on hereditary gene diseases and cardiovascular cases. The usage of natural and synthetic polymers with cationic character is of high importance on that domain.

The on-going PhD thesis of our group member Ress. Assist. Ceyda ŞİMŞEK under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Candan ERBİL was the prequel and also the essence of this project. The preliminary experiments of the well-known natural chitosan polymer and a biocompatible weak cationic Poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide) (PDMAPMAAm) graft copolymers were synthesized via free radical  polymerization. The results have confirmed the possible usage of those structures as a siRNA carrier comparable to commercial vectors still used in the market.

Our accepted TUBİTAK 1001 project on beware of this knowledge, established the new parkour by using a controlled polymerization method, to regulate the tailor-made dimensional contradictions for a proper passage of the vector polyplexes through the cell wall, as well as to enhance the cell compatibility by adjusting the transfection efficiency and the process sponge effect but also to mar any cytotoxic behaviors to obtain a high standard.

This project will be run under a close collaboration between the ITU Chemistry Laboratories and the consultancy of Prof. Dr.  Yasemin Yüksel DURMAZ at İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi, “Innovative Polymer Nano-Therapeutics Research Laboratories.