Ulo Langel Professor Emeritus

Research project

Development of cellular transporters

Cell-penetrating peptides, CPP, are able to function as cellular transporters through biological membranes. As these CPP:s or transportans, can carry another agent, e.g. a protein, they offer additional methods for research and therapeutic use. However, the mechanisms behind such cellular delivery remain obscured and are worth of detailed studies. Currently, our interest is also concerned with the possibility to deliver drugs across blood brain barrier. Cellular delivery of peptides, short oligonucleotides such as siRNA, peptide nucleic acid oligomers, proteins and even plasmids for transfection has been achieved.

1. Langel,Ü. (2021) Cell-penetrating peptides and transportan. Pharmaceutics. Special Issue “Current state in the Field of Cell-Penetrating Peptides as honorific issue for Professor Ülo Langel”. 13(7) : 987, 1-31.

2. Porosk,L., Gaidutšik,I., and Langel,Ü. (2021) Approaches for the discovery of new cell-penetrating peptides. Expert Opinion On Drug Discovery, 16(5), 553-565

3. Porosk,L., Põhako,K., Arukuusk,P., and Langel,Ü. (2021) Cell-penetrating peptides predicted from CASC3, AKIP1 and AHRR proteins. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, article 716226, 1-10

4. Zorko,M., Jones,S., and Langel,Ü. (2022) Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 180, 114044, 1-17.

5. Abdelhamid,H.N., Langel,Ü., Abdelnaby,M.M., and Dowaidar,M. (2025) Carbon dot-based polyplexes with cell penetration peptide for gene transfection. RSC Advances. 15, 45071-45080.

6. Langel,Ü. (2025) Preface. In : Ed. Langel,Ü., Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery, Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Prerss, Springer Nature. pp. v-vii.

7. Porosk,L., and Langel,Ü. (2025) 5. Addressing blood-brain barrier : overcoming glioblastoma drug delivery. In : Ed. Langel,Ü., Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery, Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Prerss, Springer Nature. pp. 83-104

8. Zorko,M., and Langel,Ü. (2025) 10. Cancer vaccines. In : Ed. Langel,Ü., Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery, Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Prerss, Springer Nature. pp. 213-229,