The Department of Chemistry invites you to its departmental seminar today at 4:10 p.m. in Fulmer Hall, room 201.
Dr. John Matson from the Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech will present, Therapeutic Delivery of Hydrogen Sulfide: Small Molecules, Polymers, and Materials.
Abstract: Despite its reputation as a foul-smelling and toxic pollutant, H2S is a vital biological signaling agent, and it is of interest as a therapeutic for a variety of diseases and conditions. We focus on developing new small molecules, polymers, and supramolecular materials for the delivery of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The majority of biological studies on this gasotransmitter have been carried out with systemically administered sulfide salts, which have no tissue specificity, fast release, and the potential for off-target effects. We address these shortcomings by developing new H2S-releasing small molecules with controllable triggers and release kinetics. These small molecules are then incorporated into new materials, which can offer localized H2S delivery with tunable kinetics. Our platforms include soluble polymers and peptide-based gels designed to release therapeutically relevant concentrations of H2S with controllable kinetics.
