New bioscience: gliconanotechnology

2003/11/12 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Bioteknologia
• Nanoteknologia

In addition to the conferences, there will be open days in the technology parks of San Sebastián, Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and the KutxaEspacio de la Ciencia. And as if it were not enough, we can also see live biotechnology experiments.

Among the guest speakers is Soledad Penadés. This researcher, who works at the Isla de la Cartuja Research Center, in the team of carbohydrates, presented us yesterday a new bioscience: gliconanotechnology.

The Soledad Penadés team investigates ex vivo the glycoside interactions and glycoside protein that take place in the cell membrane. To mimic the interactions that occur in the cell membrane, they use antigenic nanoparticles surrounded by glycoproteins and glycolipids. At the heart of this nanoparticle there is gold and glycoproteins and glycollipids are joined by a solid covalent bond, obtaining a very stable structure.

These interactions that occur in the cell membrane are especially interesting since viruses use this pathway to introduce it into the cell, and not only that, but also the processes of embryogenesis and metastasis are based on these interactions. Therefore, among other things, Soledad Penadés proposed to develop a therapy that prevents the adhesion of melanomic cells in metastases.