Yin Rui
2005
Citations
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Influential Citations
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Journal
Immunological Journal
Abstract
Over the past decades, it has been discovered that HIV-I trans-activating transcriptional activator (Tat) shows the ability to cross the plasma membrane of mammalian cells and thus give rise to the intracellular delivery of therapeutic cargos, such as peptides, oligonu-cleotides, DNA, proteins, plasmids, and even nanometer-sized particles, which otherwise cannot cross the plasma membrane. The process of penetration has no toxicity or side effects to cells. Although the exact mechanism of the internalization is not clarified, and often controversial or elusive, Tat derived peptides have been utilized in life science research fields widely, including basic and clinical research. The discovery and application of cell-penetrating peptide HIV-I Tat pave the way for the research of biology.