Jindrich (Henry) Kopecek
Professor of Bioengineering Professor of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Adjunct Professor of Material Science and Engineering
Ph.D., D.Sc. Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences |
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301 Skaggs/205 B BPRB phone: (801) 581-4532 / (801) 581-7211 fax: (801) 581-3674 / (801) 581-7848 e-mail: Jindrich.Kopecek@m.cc.utah.edu |
Research in the Kopecek Research Group at the University of Utah focuses on the design, synthesis and characterization of biorecognizable biomedical polymers.
Targetable polymeric anticancer drugs. Targetable water soluble polymeric carriers which contain recognition moieties such as antibodies (or their fragments) and certain sugar molecules are being studied. The presence of such recognition moieties leads to interaction with cell-surface antigens or receptors and specific uptake of the polymeric carriers into the target (cancer) cells. Two methods of drug activation in the target tissue are also being evaluated: release of the drug (anthracycline antibiotics) by lysosomal cysteine proteinases and activation by light (photosensitizers,e.g. chlorin e6). The fate of these polymeric conjugates on cellular and subcellular levels, as well as factors influencing biorecognition, such as chemical structure, aggregation and association of macromolecules in solution are being systematically studied. The potential of polymeric anticancer drugs to overcome multidrug resistance and the cell signaling pathways involved in modified gene expression (when compared to low molecular weight drugs) are the focus of current studies. Several polymeric anticancer drug conjugates are being evaluated in clinical trials.
Lectin - polymer - drug conjugates for site-specific delivery in the gastrointestinal tract. The ultimate aim of this project is to verify the hypothesis that a lectin-mediated targeting system based on the concept of differential lectin binding may have the potential to preferentially deliver drugs (cyclosporin A, anticancer drugs) to diseased over healthy tissues.
Degradable hydrogels. The design, synthesis, and properties of pH sensitive hydrogels containing azoaromatic crosslinks susceptible to degradation by microbial enzymes in the colon are being pursued. The aim is their use in colon-specific peptide/protein delivery systems.
Genetically engineered biomaterials. The possibility of using the coiled-coil motif in the design and synthesis of new genetically engineered biomaterials and self-assembly systems is being evaluated.
Biocompatibility [BIOEN7210/PHCEU 7120]
Drug Delivery PHCEU 7030
C. Wang, R.J. Stewart, J. Kopecek, Hybrid Hydrogels Assembled from Synthetic Polymers and Coiled-Coil Protein Domains, Nature 397, 417-420 (1999)
Z.-R. Lu, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, Polymerizable Fab' Antibody Fragments for Targeting of Anticancer Drugs, Nature Biotechnology 17, 1101-1104 (1999)
T. Minko, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, Comparison of the Anticancer Effect of Free and HPMA Copolymer-bound Adriamycin in Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cells, Pharmaceutical Res. 16, 986-996 (1999)
V. Omelyanenko, P. Kopeckova, R.K. Prakash, C.D. Ebert, J. Kopecek, Biorecognition of HPMA Copolymer Adriamycin Conjugates by Lymphocytes Mediated by Synthetic Receptor Binding Epitopes, Pharmaceutical Res. 16, 1010-1019 (1999)
J.D. Spikes, H.-R. Shen, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, Photodynamic Crosslinking of Proteins. III. Kinetics of the FMN- and Rose Bengal-sensitized Photooxidation and Intermolecular Crosslinking of Model Tyrosine-containing N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide Copolymers, Photochem. Photobiol. 70, 130-137 (1999)
M. Dvorak, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, High-Molecular Weight HPMA Copolymer Adriamycin Conjugates, J. Controlled Rel. 60, 321-332 (1999)
T. Minko, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, Chronic Exposure to HPMA Copolymer-bound Adriamycin does not Induce Multidrug Resistance in a Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Line, J. Controlled Rel. 59, 133-148 (1999)
R.H. Lu, P. Kopeckova, J. Kopecek, Degradation and Aggregation of Human Calcitonin In Vitro, Pharmaceutical Res. 16, 359-367 (1999)
J.-G. Shiah, Y. Sun, C.M. Peterson, J. Kopecek, Biodistribution of Free and N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide Copolymer-Bound Meso Chlorin e6 and Adriamycin in Nude Mice Bearing Human Ovarian Carcinoma OVCAR-3 Xenografts, J. Controlled Rel. 61, 145-157 (1999)
S. Wroblewski, P. Kopeckova, B. Rihova, J. Kopecek, Lectin - HPMA Copolymer Conjugates: Potential Oral Drug Carriers for Targeting Diseased Tissues, Macromol. Chem. Phys. 199, 2601-2608 (1998)
Z.-R. Lu, P. Kopeckova, Z. Wu, J. Kopecek, Functionalized Semitelechelic Poly[N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide] for Protein Modification, Bioconjugate Chem. 9, 793-804 (1998)
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
