Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jacquin Clarence Niles

Klavs F Jensen

Armon R Sharei

James Robbins Abshire

Stephen Jacob Goldfless

Michael A Marletta

Brian J Belmont

The current subject matter includes methods, systems, articles, and techniques to deliver material to anucleate cells, such as red blood cells. Using a rapid deformation based microfluidic system, loading of red blood cells with macromolecules of different sizes has been shown. Although delivery to some mammalian cells, such as cancer cell lines and fibroblasts had been previously demonstrated using this technique, those designs were incompatible with RBCs that have dramatically different physical properties. Through the use of smaller constriction sizes, high speeds and different buffers successful delivery to red blood cells can be achieved. By enabling robust delivery to red blood cells in a simple, scalable manner, the current subject matter can be implemented in a diversity of applications that deliver material to study red blood cell diseases and/or use red blood cells as a therapeutic platform. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Delivery of materials to anucleate cells

In vitro SELEX has been used to discover high affinity RNA aptamers interacting with the tetracycline repressor protein in a tetracycline-dependent manner. Using in silico RNA folding predictions to guide the design of both aptamer truncations and mutants, minimized tetracycline repressor protein high affinity binding aptamers have been defined. Using one such aptamer, inducible post-transcriptional regulation in vivo has been demonstrated that is predicated on a direct interaction between a tetracycline repressor protein and a RNA aptamer element. These aptamer components can be integrated in any organism to inducibly regulate RNA translation of a gene of interest.

Post-transcriptional regulation of RNA-related processes using encoded protein-binding RNA aptamers

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Jacquin Clarence Niles