Abstract
The use of α-amino-γ-lactam oligomers (Agl-αAA) as cell penetrating vectors are described in this work. These ribbon structured oligomers are able to cross the cell membrane to reach the cytosol and deliver a biologically active cargo. Unlike peptide sequences, these oligomers display a strong enzymatic resistance. A new family of α-amino-γ-lactam oligomers (Agl-βAA) obtained from conversion of /β peptide sequences are also described. Secondary structure of these molecules have been studied by NMR, FTIR, CD and XRD. These oligomers are able to adopt a stable 12-helix structure. Unexpectedly, these oligomers are soluble in aqueous mediums without any hydrophilic side chains