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Sheng Y, Chen Z, Cherrier MV, Martin L, Bui TTT, Li W, Lynham S, Nicolet Y, Ebrahimi KH. A Versatile Virus-Mimetic Engineering Approach for Concurrent Protein Nanocage Surface-Functionalization and Cargo Encapsulation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310913. [PMID: 38726952 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Naturally occurring protein nanocages like ferritin are self-assembled from multiple subunits. Because of their unique cage-like structure and biocompatibility, there is a growing interest in their biomedical use. A multipurpose and straightforward engineering approach does not exist for using nanocages to make drug-delivery systems by encapsulating hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs and developing vaccines by surface functionalization with a protein like an antigen. Here, a versatile engineering approach is described by mimicking the HIV-1 Gap polyprotein precursor. Various PREcursors of nanoCages (PREC) are designed and created by linking two ferritin subunits via a flexible linker peptide containing a protease cleavage site. These precursors can have additional proteins at their N-terminus, and their protease cleavage generates ferritin-like nanocages named protease-induced nanocages (PINCs). It is demonstrated that PINC formation allows concurrent surface decoration with a protein and hydrophilic or hydrophobic drug encapsulation up to fourfold more than the amount achieved using other methods. The PINCs/Drug complex is stable and efficiently kills cancer cells. This work provides insight into the precursors' design rules and the mechanism of PINCs formation. The engineering approach and mechanistic insight described here will facilitate nanocages' applications in drug delivery or as a platform for making multifunctional therapeutics like mosaic vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Sheng
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Zilong Chen
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Mickael V Cherrier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, Metalloproteins Unit, Grenoble, CS 10090, France
| | - Lydie Martin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, Metalloproteins Unit, Grenoble, CS 10090, France
| | - Tam T T Bui
- Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, SE11UL, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Steven Lynham
- Proteomics Core Facility, James Black Centre, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Yvain Nicolet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, Metalloproteins Unit, Grenoble, CS 10090, France
| | - Kourosh H Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, SE1 9NH, UK
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2
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Zhang L, Cao X, Chen J, Dong Y, Chen W, Gao Y, Guo J, Huang H. Co-delivery of siBcl-2 and PTX with mitochondria-targeted functions to overcoming multidrug resistance. Int J Pharm 2024; 654:123970. [PMID: 38447779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) poses a significant impediment to the efficacy of chemotherapy in clinical settings. Despite Paclitaxel (PTX) being designated as the primary pharmaceutical agent for treating recurrent and metastatic breast cancer, the emergence of PTX resistance frequently results in therapeutic shortcomings, representing a substantial obstacle in clinical breast cancer management. In response, we developed a delivery system exhibiting dual specificity for both tumors and mitochondria. This system facilitated the sequential administration of small interfering B-cell lymphoma-2 (siBcl-2) and PTX to the tumor cytoplasm and mitochondria, respectively, with the aim of surmounting PTX resistance in tumor cells through the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Notably, we employed genetic engineering techniques to fabricate a recombinant ferritin containing the H-subunit (HFn), known for its tumor-targeting capabilities, for loading siBcl-2. This HFn-siBcl-2 complex was then combined with positively charged Triphenylphosphine-Liposome@PTX (TL@PTX) nanoparticles (NPs) to formulate HFn/siBcl-2@TL/PTX. Guided by HFn, these nanoparticles efficiently entered cells and released siBcl-2 through the action of triphenylphosphine (TPP)-mediated "proton sponge," thereby precisely modulating the expression of Bcl-2 protein. Simultaneously, PTX was directed to the mitochondria through the accurate targeting of TL@PTX, synergistically initiating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and effectively suppressing PTX resistance both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the development of this dual-targeting delivery system presents a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming PTX resistance in the clinical treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.
| | - Xinyu Cao
- College of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, PR China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, PR China
| | - Yanyan Dong
- College of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, PR China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Jiangsu Medical Devices Inspection Center, PR China.
| | - Haiqin Huang
- College of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, PR China.
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3
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Herpoldt KL, López CL, Sappington I, Pham MN, Srinivasan S, Netland J, Montgomery KS, Roy D, Prossnitz AN, Ellis D, Wargacki AJ, Pepper M, Convertine AJ, Stayton PS, King NP. Macromolecular Cargo Encapsulation via In Vitro Assembly of Two-Component Protein Nanoparticles. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303910. [PMID: 38180445 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembling protein nanoparticles are a promising class of materials for targeted drug delivery. Here, the use of a computationally designed, two-component, icosahedral protein nanoparticle is reported to encapsulate multiple macromolecular cargoes via simple and controlled self-assembly in vitro. Single-stranded RNA molecules between 200 and 2500 nucleotides in length are encapsulated and protected from enzymatic degradation for up to a month with length-dependent decay rates. Immunogenicity studies of nanoparticles packaging synthetic polymers carrying a small-molecule TLR7/8 agonist show that co-delivery of antigen and adjuvant results in a more than 20-fold increase in humoral immune responses while minimizing systemic cytokine secretion associated with free adjuvant. Coupled with the precise control over nanoparticle structure offered by computational design, robust and versatile encapsulation via in vitro assembly opens the door to a new generation of cargo-loaded protein nanoparticles that can combine the therapeutic effects of multiple drug classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla-Luise Herpoldt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Ciana L López
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Isaac Sappington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Minh N Pham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Selvi Srinivasan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jason Netland
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Debashish Roy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Daniel Ellis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Adam J Wargacki
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Patrick S Stayton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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4
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Eweje F, Walsh ML, Ahmad K, Ibrahim V, Alrefai A, Chen J, Chaikof EL. Protein-based nanoparticles for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery. Biomaterials 2024; 305:122464. [PMID: 38181574 PMCID: PMC10872380 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
To realize the full potential of emerging nucleic acid therapies, there is a need for effective delivery agents to transport cargo to cells of interest. Protein materials exhibit several unique properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, ease of functionalization via recombinant and chemical modifications, among other features, which establish a promising basis for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery systems. In this review, we highlight progress made in the use of non-viral protein-based nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery in vitro and in vivo, while elaborating on key physicochemical properties that have enabled the use of these materials for nanoparticle formulation and drug delivery. To conclude, we comment on the prospects and unresolved challenges associated with the translation of protein-based nucleic acid delivery systems for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisayo Eweje
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Harvard and MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA; Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, USA, 02115; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Michelle L Walsh
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Harvard and MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA; Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, USA, 02115
| | - Kiran Ahmad
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Vanessa Ibrahim
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Assma Alrefai
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Elliot L Chaikof
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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5
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Charousova M, Kudlickova Peskova M, Takacsova P, Kapolkova K, Haddad Y, Bilek J, Sivak L, Bartejs T, Heger Z, Pekarik V. Engineered human H-chain ferritin with reversed charge of the internal cavity exhibits RNA-mediated spongelike effect for loading RNA/DNA-binding molecules. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:1249-1262. [PMID: 38247338 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01257c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Ferritins are globular proteins with an internal cavity that enables the encapsulation of a plethora of low-mass compounds. Unfortunately, the overall negative surface charge of ferritin's internal cavity hampers efficient loading of negatively charged molecules. Therefore, we produced a genetically engineered human H-chain ferritin containing a cationic RKRK domain, reversing the natural net charge of the cavity to positive, thus allowing for efficient encapsulation of negatively charged siRNA. Due to the reversed, positive charge mediated by RKRK domains, the recombinant ferritin produced in E. coli inherently carries a load of bacterial RNA inside its cavity, turning the protein into an effective sponge possessing high affinity for DNA/RNA-binding substances that can be loaded with markedly higher efficiency compared to the wildtype protein. Using doxorubicin as payload, we show that due to its loading through the RNA sponge, doxorubicin is released in a sustained manner, with a cytotoxicity profile similar to the free drug. In summary, this is the first report demonstrating a ferritin/nucleic acid hybrid delivery vehicle with a broad spectrum of properties exploitable in various fields of biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Charousova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Marie Kudlickova Peskova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
| | - Paulina Takacsova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Katerina Kapolkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Yazan Haddad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Jan Bilek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Ladislav Sivak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Tomas Bartejs
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
| | - Zbynek Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Vladimir Pekarik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
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6
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Xia H, Xu H, Wang J, Wang C, Chen R, Tao T, Xu S, Zhang J, Ma K, Wang J. Heat sensitive E-helix cut ferritin nanocages for facile and high-efficiency loading of doxorubicin. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126973. [PMID: 37729988 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin possesses a stable and uniform cage structure, along with tumor-targeting properties and excellent biocompatibility, making it a promising drug delivery vehicle. However, the current ferritin drug loading strategy involves complex steps and harsh reaction conditions, resulting in low yield and recovery of drug loading, which limits the clinical application prospects of ferritin nanomedicine. In this study, we utilized the high-efficiency heat-sensitivity of the multiple channel switch structures of the E-helix-cut ferritin mutant (Ecut-HFn) and Cu2+ assistance to achieve high-efficiency loading of chemotherapeutic drugs in a one-step process at low temperatures. This method features mild reaction conditions (45 °C), high loading efficiency (about 110 doxorubicin (Dox) per Ecut-HFn), and improved protein and Dox recovery rates (with protein recovery rate around 94 % and Dox recovery rate reaching up to 45 %). The prepared ferritin-Dox particles (Ecut-HFn-Cu-Dox) exhibit a uniform size distribution, good stability, and retain the natural tumor targeting ability of ferritin. Overall, this temperature-controlled drug loading strategy utilizing heat-sensitivity ferritin mutants is energy-saving, environmentally friendly, efficient, and easy to operate, offering a new perspective for scaling up the industrial production of ferritin drug carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haining Xia
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Huangtao Xu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Jiarong Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Changhao Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Ruiguo Chen
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Tongxiang Tao
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Shuai Xu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China
| | - Jing Zhang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Kun Ma
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China.
| | - Junfeng Wang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China; Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China.
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7
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Incocciati A, Kubeš J, Piacentini R, Cappelletti C, Botta S, Bertuccini L, Šimůnek T, Boffi A, Macone A, Bonamore A. Hydrophobicity-enhanced ferritin nanoparticles for efficient encapsulation and targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs to tumor cells. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4819. [PMID: 37883077 PMCID: PMC10661074 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin, a naturally occurring iron storage protein, has gained significant attention as a drug delivery platform due to its inherent biocompatibility and capacity to encapsulate therapeutic agents. In this study, we successfully genetically engineered human H ferritin by incorporating 4 or 6 tryptophan residues per subunit, strategically oriented towards the inner cavity of the nanoparticle. This modification aimed to enhance the encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs into the ferritin cage. Comprehensive characterization of the mutants revealed that only the variant carrying four tryptophan substitutions per subunit retained the ability to disassemble and reassemble properly. As a proof of concept, we evaluated the loading capacity of this mutant with ellipticine, a natural hydrophobic indole alkaloid with multimodal anticancer activity. Our data demonstrated that this specific mutant exhibited significantly higher efficiency in loading ellipticine compared to human H ferritin. Furthermore, to evaluate the versatility of this hydrophobicity-enhanced ferritin nanoparticle as a drug carrier, we conducted a comparative study by also encapsulating doxorubicin, a commonly used anticancer drug. Subsequently, we tested both ellipticine and doxorubicin-loaded nanoparticles on a promyelocytic leukemia cell line, demonstrating efficient uptake by these cells and resulting in the expected cytotoxic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Incocciati
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Jan Kubeš
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec KrálovéCharles UniversityHradec KrálovéCzech Republic
| | - Roberta Piacentini
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
- Center of Life Nano‐ and Neuro‐ScienceItalian Institute of TechnologyRomeItaly
| | - Chiara Cappelletti
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Sofia Botta
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | | | - Tomáš Šimůnek
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec KrálovéCharles UniversityHradec KrálovéCzech Republic
| | - Alberto Boffi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Alberto Macone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Alessandra Bonamore
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi Fanelli”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
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8
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Zhang Y, Luo J, Gui X, Zheng Y, Schaar E, Liu G, Shi J. Bioengineered nanotechnology for nucleic acid delivery. J Control Release 2023; 364:124-141. [PMID: 37879440 PMCID: PMC10838211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for treating various diseases, such as genetic disorders, cancers, and viral infections. Diverse nucleic acid delivery systems have been reported, and some, including lipid nanoparticles, have exhibited clinical success. In parallel, bioengineered nucleic acid delivery nanocarriers have also gained significant attention due to their flexible functional design and excellent biocompatibility. In this review, we summarize recent advances in bioengineered nucleic acid delivery nanocarriers, focusing on exosomes, cell membrane-derived nanovesicles, protein nanocages, and virus-like particles. We highlight their unique features, advantages for nucleic acid delivery, and biomedical applications. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges that bioengineered nanocarriers face towards clinical translation and the possible avenues for their further development. This review ultimately underlines the potential of bioengineered nanotechnology for the advancement of nucleic acid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Urology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiran Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yating Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Eric Schaar
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
| | - Jinjun Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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9
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Li Y, Gao H, Nepovimova E, Wu Q, Adam V, Kuca K. Recombinant ferritins for multimodal nanomedicine. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2219868. [PMID: 37263586 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2219868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In all living organisms, ferritins are a group of proteins important for maintaining iron homeostasis. Increasing amount of studies has shown that recombinant ferritins can be widely used in multimodal nanomedicine, especially for anticancer treatment and vaccination. Recombinant particles prepared by fusing viral proteins and ferritin subunits produce a better immune response and higher antibody titres. Moreover, actively-targeted ferritin nanoparticles can recognise receptors and deliver natural or chemical drugs specifically to the tumour tissue. In addition, ferritin-linked or loaded with contrast agents or fluorescent dyes can be used as multimodal particles useful cancer theranostics. In this review, we fully summarised the unitisation of recombinant ferritins in multimodal nanomedicine. The research progress of using recombinant ferritins as nanovaccines, nanozymes, and bioengineered nanocarriers for targeted therapy and bioimaging is emphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Li
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Haoyu Gao
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Eugenie Nepovimova
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Qinghua Wu
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Kuca
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
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10
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Zhu H, Luo H, Chang R, Yang Y, Liu D, Ji Y, Qin H, Rong H, Yin J. Protein-based delivery systems for RNA delivery. J Control Release 2023; 363:253-274. [PMID: 37741460 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
RNA-based therapeutics have emerged as promising approaches to modulate gene expression and generate therapeutic proteins or antigens capable of inducing immune responses to treat a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cancers, immunologic disorders, and genetic disorders. However, the efficient delivery of RNA molecules into cells poses significant challenges due to their large molecular weight, negative charge, and susceptibility to degradation by RNase enzymes. To overcome these obstacles, viral and non-viral vectors have been developed, including lipid nanoparticles, viral vectors, proteins, dendritic macromolecules, among others. Among these carriers, protein-based delivery systems have garnered considerable attention due to their potential to address specific issues associated with nanoparticle-based systems, such as liver accumulation and immunogenicity. This review provides an overview of currently marketed RNA drugs, underscores the significance of RNA delivery vector development, delineates the essential characteristics of an ideal RNA delivery vector, and introduces existing protein carriers for RNA delivery. By offering valuable insights, this review aims to serve as a reference for the future development of protein-based delivery vectors for RNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haichao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hong Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruilong Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yue Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hai Qin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Guizhou Hospital, No. 206, Sixian Street, Baiyun District, Guiyang City 550014, Guizhou Province, China.
| | - Haibo Rong
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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11
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Kaltbeitzel J, Wich PR. Protein-based Nanoparticles: From Drug Delivery to Imaging, Nanocatalysis and Protein Therapy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202216097. [PMID: 36917017 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Proteins and enzymes are versatile biomaterials for a wide range of medical applications due to their high specificity for receptors and substrates, high degradability, low toxicity, and overall good biocompatibility. Protein nanoparticles are formed by the arrangement of several native or modified proteins into nanometer-sized assemblies. In this review, we will focus on artificial nanoparticle systems, where proteins are the main structural element and not just an encapsulated payload. While under natural conditions, only certain proteins form defined aggregates and nanoparticles, chemical modifications or a change in the physical environment can further extend the pool of available building blocks. This allows the assembly of many globular proteins and even enzymes. These advances in preparation methods led to the emergence of new generations of nanosystems that extend beyond transport vehicles to diverse applications, from multifunctional drug delivery to imaging, nanocatalysis and protein therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kaltbeitzel
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Peter R Wich
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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12
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Shesh BP, Connor JR. A novel view of ferritin in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188917. [PMID: 37209958 PMCID: PMC10330744 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Since its discovery more than 85 years ago, ferritin has principally been known as an iron storage protein. However, new roles, beyond iron storage, are being uncovered. Novel processes involving ferritin such as ferritinophagy and ferroptosis and as a cellular iron delivery protein not only expand our thinking on the range of contributions of this protein but present an opportunity to target these pathways in cancers. The key question we focus on within this review is whether ferritin modulation represents a useful approach for treating cancers. We discussed novel functions and processes of this protein in cancers. We are not limiting this review to cell intrinsic modulation of ferritin in cancers, but also focus on its utility in the trojan horse approach in cancer therapeutics. The novel functions of ferritin as discussed herein realize the multiple roles of ferritin in cell biology that can be probed for therapeutic opportunities and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James R Connor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
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13
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Sevieri M, Pinori M, Chesi A, Bonizzi A, Sitia L, Truffi M, Morasso C, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Novel Bioengineering Strategies to Improve Bioavailability and In Vivo Circulation of H-Ferritin Nanocages by Surface Functionalization. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:7244-7251. [PMID: 36873018 PMCID: PMC9979315 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to its unique architecture and innate capability to specifically target cancer cells, ferritin has emerged as an attractive class of biomaterials for drug delivery. In many studies, various chemotherapeutics have been loaded into ferritin nanocages constituted by H-chains of ferritin (HFn), and their related anti-tumor efficacy has been explored by employing different strategies. Despite the multiple advantages and the versatility of HFn-based nanocages, there are still many challenges to face for their reliable implementation as drug nanocarriers in the process of clinical translation. This review aims at providing an overview of the significant efforts expended during recent years to maximize the features of HFn in terms of increased stability and in vivo circulation. The most considerable modification strategies explored to improve bioavailability and pharmacokinetics profiles of HFn-based nanosystems will be discussed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sevieri
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Pinori
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Chesi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Leopoldo Sitia
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Truffi
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Carlo Morasso
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Breast
Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri
IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
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14
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Gong R, Yang C, Abbas G, Wang D, Zhang X, Nie G, Ding H. Diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using an ultrasensitive immunoassay method based on nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:3475-3481. [PMID: 36723040 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05848k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The detection of the antibody of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is critical for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). An accurate and scalable point-of-care detection method would support the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of NPC patients. In this study, firstly, we made an antibody enrichment element, antigen-MNPs, which can screen out specific antibodies in a complex sample. Secondly, signal-amplifying elements were synthesized by labelling inorganic quantum dots (QDs) and anti-antibodies on the surface of flop-ferritin. A sandwich structure is formed among antigen-MNPs, target-antibodies, and anti-antibodies-flop-ferritin@QDs. The antibodies are quantified by fluorescence intensity with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 10-11 g mL-1. Moreover, the method can detect different types of antibodies and was employed to examine 10 sera from NPC patients and 10 sera from healthy individuals. The result indicates that the simultaneous detection of anti-EBNA-IgG and anti-EBNA-IgA provides an efficient route for early diagnosis of NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Gong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of nanozymes and Translational Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chenyang Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ghulam Abbas
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dianbing Wang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xianen Zhang
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guohui Nie
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of nanozymes and Translational Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hui Ding
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of nanozymes and Translational Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, China
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15
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Zhu Y, Zhu Y, Cao T, Liu X, Liu X, Yan Y, Shi Y, Wang JC. Ferritin-based nanomedicine for disease treatment. MEDICAL REVIEW (2021) 2023; 3:49-74. [PMID: 37724111 PMCID: PMC10471093 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2023-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin is an endogenous protein which is self-assembled by 24 subunits into a highly uniform nanocage structure. Due to the drug-encapsulating ability in the hollow inner cavity and abundant modification sites on the outer surface, ferritin nanocage has been demonstrated great potential to become a multi-functional nanomedicine platform. Its good biocompatibility, low toxicity and immunogenicity, intrinsic tumor-targeting ability, high stability, low cost and massive production, together make ferritin nanocage stand out from other nanocarriers. In this review, we summarized ferritin-based nanomedicine in field of disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The different types of drugs to be loaded in ferritin, as well as drug-loading methods were classified. The strategies for site-specific and non-specific functional modification of ferritin were investigated, then the application of ferritin for disease imaging, drug delivery and vaccine development were discussed. Finally, the challenges restricting the clinical translation of ferritin-based nanomedicines were analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuefeng Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianmiao Cao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Yan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Shi
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Cheng Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Innovative Formulations and Pharmaceutical Excipients, Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicine, Peking University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
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16
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Oh HJ, Jung Y. High order assembly of multiple protein cages with homogeneous sizes and shapes via limited cage surface engineering. Chem Sci 2023; 14:1105-1113. [PMID: 36756339 PMCID: PMC9891371 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02772k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein cages are attractive building blocks to build high order materials such as 3D cage lattices, which offer accurately ordered bio-templates. However, controlling the size or valency of these cage-to-cage assemblies is extremely difficult due to highly multivalent and symmetric cage structures. Here, various high order cage assemblies with homogeneous sizes and geometries are constructed by developing an anisotropic ferritin cage with limitedly exposed binding modules, leucine zipper. The anisotropic ferritin is produced as expressed in cells without the need of complex in vitro cage fabrication by careful subunit manipulation. Ferritin cages with limitedly exposed zippers are assembled around a core ferritin with fully exposed opposing zippers, generating homogeneous high order structures, whereas two fully exposed ferritins are assembled into heterogeneous cage aggregates. Diverse fully exposed core cages are prepared by varying the zipper-ferritin fusion geometries and even by using larger cage structures. With these core cages and the anisotropic ferritin, a range of high order cage assemblies with diverse ferritin valencies (3 to over 12) and sizes (over 40 nm) are created. Cell surface binding and internalization of cage structures are greatly varied by assembly sizes, where high order ferritins are clearly more effective than monomeric ferritin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeok Jin Oh
- Department of Chemistry, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea +82-42-350-2810 +82-42-350-2817
| | - Yongwon Jung
- Department of Chemistry, KAIST 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea +82-42-350-2810 +82-42-350-2817
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17
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Nakahara Y, Endo Y, Inoue I. Construction Protocol of Drug-Protein Cage Complexes for Drug Delivery System. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2671:335-347. [PMID: 37308654 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3222-2_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin is one of the most promising drug delivery system (DDS) carriers because of its uniform nanosize, biodistribution, efficient cellular uptake, and biocompatibility. Conventionally, a disassembly/reassembly method that requires pH change has been used for the encapsulation of molecules in ferritin protein nanocages. Recently, a one-step method in which a complex of ferritin and a targeted drug was obtained by incubating the mixture at an appropriate pH, was established. Here, we describe two types of protocols, the conventional disassembly/reassembly method, and the novel one-step method for the construction of a ferritin-encapsulated drug using doxorubicin as an example molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Nakahara
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Yuta Endo
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ippei Inoue
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
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18
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Bacterioferritin nanocage: Structure, biological function, catalytic mechanism, self-assembly and potential applications. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 61:108057. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Viegas JSR, Bentley MVLB, Vicentini FTMDC. Challenges to perform an efficiently gene therapy adopting non-viral vectors: Melanoma landscape. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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20
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Wang H, Li S, Yang Y, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Wei T. Perspectives of metal-organic framework nanosystem to overcome tumor drug resistance. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 5:954-970. [PMID: 36627891 PMCID: PMC9771744 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most harmful diseases in the world, which causes huge numbers of deaths every year. Many drugs have been developed to treat tumors. However, drug resistance usually develops after a period of time, which greatly weakens the therapeutic effect. Tumor drug resistance is characterized by blocking the action of anticancer drugs, resisting apoptosis and DNA repair, and evading immune recognition. To tackle tumor drug resistance, many engineered drug delivery systems (DDS) have been developed. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one kind of emerging and promising nanocarriers for DDS with high surface area and abundant active sites that make the functionalization simpler and more efficient. These features enable MOFs to achieve advantages easily towards other materials. In this review, we highlight the main mechanisms of tumor drug resistance and the characteristics of MOFs. The applications and opportunities of MOF-based DDS to overcome tumor drug resistance are also discussed, shedding light on the future development of MOFs to address tumor drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huafeng Wang
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.,School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shi Li
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yiting Yang
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yinghao Zhang
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tianxiang Wei
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.,Correspondence to: Dr. Tianxiang Wei, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China. E-mail:
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21
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Hamimed S, Jabberi M, Chatti A. Nanotechnology in drug and gene delivery. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2022; 395:769-787. [PMID: 35505234 PMCID: PMC9064725 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-022-02245-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, nanotechnology has widely addressed many nanomaterials in the biomedical area with an opportunity to achieve better-targeted delivery, effective treatment, and an improved safety profile. Nanocarriers have the potential property to protect the active molecule during drug delivery. Depending on the employing nanosystem, the delivery of drugs and genes has enhanced the bioavailability of the molecule at the disease site and exercised an excellent control of the molecule release. Herein, the chapter discusses various advanced nanomaterials designed to develop better nanocarrier systems used to face different diseases such as cancer, heart failure, and malaria. Furthermore, we demonstrate the great attention to the promising role of nanocarriers in ease diagnostic and biodistribution for successful clinical cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Hamimed
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, CP 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia. .,Departement of Biology, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Natural and Life Sciences, Chaikh Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa, Algeria.
| | - Marwa Jabberi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, CP 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia.,Laboratory of Energy and Matter for Development of Nuclear Sciences (LR16CNSTN02), National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technology (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, 2020, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Abdelwaheb Chatti
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, CP 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia
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22
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Yamazaki J, Inoue I, Arakawa A, Karakawa S, Takahashi K, Nakayama A. Simultaneous quantification of oligo-nucleic acids and a ferritin nanocage by size-exclusion chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for developing drug delivery systems. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2022; 14:2219-2226. [PMID: 35616084 DOI: 10.1039/d2ay00068g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An analytical methodology, which can quantify nucleic acids, ferritin nanocages, and their complexes in a single injection, was established by means of size-exclusion chromatography hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS). In this study, several oligo-nucleic acids and ferritin (a human-derived cage-shaped protein) were used as model compounds of nucleic acid drugs (NAD) and drug delivery system (DDS) carriers, respectively. A fraction based on the nucleic acid-ferritin complex was completely distinguished from one based on free nucleic acids by SEC separation. The nucleic acids and ferritin were quantified based on the number of phosphorus and sulfur atoms, respectively. The quantification was carried out by an external calibration method using a series of elemental standard solutions without preparing designated standard materials for each drug candidate. The analytical performance, including sensitivity and accuracy, was evaluated to be appropriate for evaluating the medicines already launched in the market. As demonstrated in the latter part of this study, the encapsulation mechanism is possibly regulated by not only the averaged molecular size of nucleic acids but also the surface charge related to the number of (deoxy-) ribonucleotides. We believe that the methodology presented in this study has the potential to accelerate the development of new modalities based on NAD-DDS to realize therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Yamazaki
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | - Ippei Inoue
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | - Akihiro Arakawa
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | - Sachise Karakawa
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | - Kazutoshi Takahashi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | - Akira Nakayama
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
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23
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Yuan Z, Wang B, Teng Y, Ho W, Hu B, Boakye-Yiadom KO, Xu X, Zhang XQ. Rational design of engineered H-ferritin nanoparticles with improved siRNA delivery efficacy across an in vitro model of the mouse BBB. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:6449-6464. [PMID: 35416195 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr07880a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy holds tremendous potential for the treatment of incurable brain diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), stroke, glioma, and Parkinson's disease. The main challenge is the lack of effective gene delivery systems traversing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), due to the complex microvessels present in the brain which restrict substances from the circulating blood passing through. Recently, increasing efforts have been made to develop promising gene carriers for brain-related disease therapies. One such development is the self-assembled heavy chain ferritin (HFn) nanoparticles (NPs). HFn NPs have a unique hollow spherical structure that can encapsulate nucleic acid drugs (NADs) and specifically bind to cancer cells and BBB endothelial cells (BBB ECs) via interactions with the transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) overexpressed on their surfaces, which increases uptake through the BBB. However, the gene-loading capacity of HFn is restricted by its limited interior volume and negatively charged inner surface; therefore, these drawbacks have prompted the demand for strategies to remould the structure of HFn. In this work, we analyzed the three-dimensional (3D) structure of HFn using Chimera software (v 1.14) and developed a class of internally cationic HFn variants (HFn+ NPs) through arginine mutation on the lumenal surface of HFn. These HFn+ NPs presented powerful electrostatic forces in their cavities, and exhibited higher gene encapsulation efficacy than naive HFn. The top-performing candidate, HFn2, effectively delivered siRNA to glioma cells after traversing the BBB and achieved the highest silencing efficacy among HFn+ NPs. Overall, our findings demonstrate that HFn+ NPs obtained by this genetic engineering method provide critical insights into the future development of nucleic acid delivery carriers with BBB-crossing ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Yuan
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Bin Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Yilong Teng
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - William Ho
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
| | - Bin Hu
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Kofi Oti Boakye-Yiadom
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Xiaoyang Xu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
| | - Xue-Qing Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, and School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
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Roles of homopolymeric apoferritin in alleviating alcohol-induced liver injury. FOOD BIOSCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2022.101794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Mainini F, Bonizzi A, Sevieri M, Sitia L, Truffi M, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Protein-Based Nanoparticles for the Imaging and Treatment of Solid Tumors: The Case of Ferritin Nanocages, a Narrative Review. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13122000. [PMID: 34959283 PMCID: PMC8708614 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13122000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein nanocages have been studied extensively, due to their unique architecture, exceptional biocompatibility and highly customization capabilities. In particular, ferritin nanocages (FNs) have been employed for the delivery of a vast array of molecules, ranging from chemotherapeutics to imaging agents, among others. One of the main favorable characteristics of FNs is their intrinsic targeting efficiency toward the Transferrin Receptor 1, which is overexpressed in many tumors. Furthermore, genetic manipulation can be employed to introduce novel variants that are able to improve the loading capacity, targeting capabilities and bio-availability of this versatile drug delivery system. In this review, we discuss the main characteristics of FN and the most recent applications of this promising nanotechnology in the field of oncology with a particular emphasis on the imaging and treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Mainini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Leopoldo Sitia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
| | - Marta Truffi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche “L. Sacco”, Università di Milano, 20157 Milano, Italy; (F.M.); (A.B.); (M.S.); (L.S.)
- Correspondence: (F.C.); (S.M.)
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The Impact of Redox, Hydrolysis and Dehydration Chemistry on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Magnetoferritin Prepared in Variable Thermal Conditions. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26226960. [PMID: 34834056 PMCID: PMC8619319 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferritin, a spherically shaped protein complex, is responsible for iron storage in bacteria, plants, animals, and humans. Various ferritin iron core compositions in organisms are associated with specific living requirements, health state, and different biochemical roles of ferritin isomers. Magnetoferritin, a synthetic ferritin derivative, serves as an artificial model system of unusual iron phase structures found in humans. We present the results of a complex structural study of magnetoferritins prepared by controlled in vitro synthesis. Using various complementary methods, it was observed that manipulation of the synthesis technology can improve the physicochemical parameters of the system, which is useful in applications. Thus, a higher synthesis temperature leads to an increase in magnetization due to the formation of the magnetite phase. An increase in the iron loading factor has a more pronounced impact on the protein shell structure in comparison with the pH of the aqueous medium. On the other hand, a higher loading factor at physiological temperature enhances the formation of an amorphous phase instead of magnetite crystallization. It was confirmed that the iron-overloading effect alone (observed during pathological events) cannot contribute to the formation of magnetite.
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27
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Veroniaina H, Wu Z, Qi X. Innate tumor-targeted nanozyme overcoming tumor hypoxia for cancer theranostic use. J Adv Res 2021; 33:201-213. [PMID: 34603790 PMCID: PMC8463960 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) is the major contributor to cancer metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy, and recurrence of tumors. So far, no approved treatment has been available to overcome tumor hypoxia. Objectives The present study aimed to relieve tumor hypoxia via a nanozyme theranostic nanomaterial as well as providing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided therapy. Methods Manganese dioxide (MnO2) was used for its intrinsic enzymatic activity co-loaded with the anti-cancer drug Doxorubicin (Dox) within the recombinant heavy-chain apoferritin cavity to form MnO2-Dox@HFn. Following the synthesis of the nanomaterial, different characterizations were performed as well as its nanozyme-like ability. This nanoplatform recognizes tumor cells through the transferrin receptors 1 (TfR1) which are highly expressed on the surface of most cancer cells. The cellular uptake was confirmed by flow cytometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. In vitro and in vivo studies have been investigated to evaluate the hypoxia regulation, MRI ability and anti-tumor activity of MnO2-Dox@HFn. Results Being a TME-responsive nanomaterial, MnO2-Dox@HFn exerted both peroxidase and catalase activity that mainly produce massive oxygen and Mn2+ ions. Respectively, these products relieve the unfavorable tumor hypoxia and also exhibit T1-weighted MRI with a high longitudinal relaxivity of 33.40 mM. s−1. The utility of MnO2-Dox@HFn was broadened with their efficient anti-cancer activity proved both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions MnO2-Dox@HFn successfully overcome tumor hypoxia with double potentials enzymatic ability and diagnostic capacity. This investigation could ignite the future application for cancer theranostic nanozyme therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhenghong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaole Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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Zhang J, Cheng D, He J, Hong J, Yuan C, Liang M. Cargo loading within ferritin nanocages in preparation for tumor-targeted delivery. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4878-4896. [PMID: 34497386 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00602-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ferritins are spherical iron storage proteins within cells, composed of 24 subunits of two types, heavy-chain ferritin (HFn) and light-chain ferritin. Ferritins auto-assemble naturally into hollow nanocages with an outer diameter of 12 nm and an interior cavity 8 nm in diameter. Since the intrinsic tumor-targeting property of human HFn was first reported in 2012, HFn has been extensively explored for tumor-targeted delivery of anticancer drugs and diagnostic molecules, including radioisotopes and fluorophores, as well as inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and chemotherapeutic drugs. This protocol provides four detailed procedures describing how to load four types of cargoes within HFn nanocages that are capable of accurately controlling cargo loading: synthesis of inorganic metal nanoparticles within the cavity of a wild-type human HFn nanocage (Procedure 1, requires ~5 h); loading of doxorubicin into the cavity of a wild-type human HFn nanocage (Procedure 2, requires ~3 d); loading Gd3+ into the cavity of a genetically engineered human HFn nanocage (Procedure 3, requires ~20 h); and loading 64Cu2+ radioisotope into the cavity of a genetically engineered human HFn nanocage (Procedure 4, requires ~3 h). Subsequent use of these HFn-based formulations is advantageous as they have intrinsic tumor-targeting capability and lack immunogenicity. Human HFn generated as described in this protocol can therefore be used to deliver therapeutic drugs and diagnostic signals as multifunctional nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Zhang
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Dengfeng Cheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University/Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiuyang He
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juanji Hong
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Yuan
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Minmin Liang
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
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Song N, Zhang J, Zhai J, Hong J, Yuan C, Liang M. Ferritin: A Multifunctional Nanoplatform for Biological Detection, Imaging Diagnosis, and Drug Delivery. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:3313-3325. [PMID: 34415728 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Ferritins are spherical iron storage proteins within cells that are composed of a combination of 24 subunits of two types, heavy-chain ferritin (HFn) and light-chain ferritin (LFn). They autoassemble naturally into a spherical hollow nanocage with an outer diameter of 12 nm and an interior cavity that is 8 nm in diameter. In recent years, with the constantly emerging safety issues and the concerns about unfavorable uniformity and indefinite in vivo behavior of traditional nanomedicines, the characteristics of native ferritin nanocages, such as the unique nanocage structure, excellent safety profile, and definite in vivo behavior, make ferritin-based formulations uniquely attractive for nanomedicine development. To date, a variety of cargo molecules, including therapeutic drugs (e.g., cisplatin, carboplatin, paclitaxel, curcumin, atropine, quercetin, gefitinib, daunomycin, epirubicin, doxorubicin, etc.), imaging agents (e.g., fluorescence dyes, radioisotopes, and MRI contrast agents), nucleic acids (e.g., siRNA and miRNA), and metal nanoparticles (e.g., Fe3O4, CeO2, AuPd, CuS, CoPt, FeCo, Ag, etc.) have been loaded into the interior cavity of ferritin nanocages for a broad range of biomedical applications from in vitro biosensing to targeted delivery of cargo molecules in living systems with the aid of modified targeting ligands either genetically or chemically. We reported that human HFn could selectively deliver a large amount of cargo into tumors in vivo via transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1)-mediated tumor-cell-specific targeting followed by rapid internalization. By the use of the intrinsic tumor-targeting property and unique nanocage structure of human HFn, a broad variety of cargo-loaded HFn formulations have been developed for biological analysis, imaging diagnosis, and medicine development. In view of the intrinsic tumor-targeting property, unique nanocage structure, lack of immunogenicity, and definite in vivo behavior, human HFn holds promise to promote therapeutic drugs, diagnostic imaging agents, and targeting moieties into multifunctional nanomedicines.Since the report of the intrinsic tumor-targeting property of human HFn, we have extensively explored human HFn as an ideal nanocarrier for tumor-targeted delivery of anticancer drugs, MRI contrast agents, inorganic nanoparticles, and radioisotopes. In particular, by the use of genetic tools, we also have genetically engineered human HFn nanocages to recognize a broader range of disease biomarkers. In this Account, we systematically review human ferritins from characterizing their tumor-binding property and understanding their mechanism and kinetics for cargo loading to exploring their biomedical applications. We finally discuss the prospect of ferritin-based formulations to become next-generation nanomedicines. We expect that ferritin formulations with unique physicochemical characteristics and intrinsic tumor-targeting property will attract broad interest in fundamental drug research and offer new opportunities for nanomedicine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Song
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jianlin Zhang
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiao Zhai
- Tung Foundation Biomedical Sciences Centre/Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Juanji Hong
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chang Yuan
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Minmin Liang
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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Zhang B, Tang G, He J, Yan X, Fan K. Ferritin nanocage: A promising and designable multi-module platform for constructing dynamic nanoassembly-based drug nanocarrier. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113892. [PMID: 34331986 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ferritin has been widely recognized as an ideal drug delivery vehicle owing to its unique cage-like structure. Coupled with intrinsic targeting ability and excellent biosafety, ferritin-based drug delivery system, recently coined as ferritin drug carrier (FDC), has sparked great interest among researchers and shown promising application potential in the biomedical field. However, the flexibility and accuracy of traditional FDCs are limited when facing with complex disease microenvironments. To meet the fast-growing requirements for precision medicine, ferritin can serve as a designable multi-module platform to fabricate smarter FDC, which we introduce here as dynamic nanoassembly-based ferritin drug carrier (DNFDC). Compared to conventional FDC, DNFDCs directly integrate required functions into their nanostructure, which can achieve dynamic transformation upon stimuli to specifically activate and exert therapeutic functions at targeted sites. In this review, we summarize the superior characteristics of ferritin that contribute to the on-demand design of DNFDC and outline the current advances in DNFDC. Moreover, the potential research directions and challenges are also discussed here. Hopefully, this review may inspire the future development of DNFDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoli Zhang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Guoheng Tang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Jiuyang He
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiyun Yan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Nanozyme Medical Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Kelong Fan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Nanozyme Medical Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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Kumar M, Markiewicz-Mizera J, Janna Olmos JD, Wilk P, Grudnik P, Biela AP, Jemioła-Rzemińska M, Górecki A, Chakraborti S, Heddle JG. A single residue can modulate nanocage assembly in salt dependent ferritin. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:11932-11942. [PMID: 34195748 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr01632f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Cage forming proteins have numerous potential applications in biomedicine and biotechnology, where the iron storage ferritin is a widely used example. However, controlling ferritin cage assembly/disassembly remains challenging, typically requiring extreme conditions incompatible with many desirable cargoes, particularly for more fragile biopharmaceuticals. Recently, a ferritin from the hyperthermophile bacterium Thermotoga maritima (TmFtn) has been shown to have reversible assembly under mild conditions, offering greater potential biocompatibility in terms of cargo access and encapsulation. Like Archeoglobus fulgidus ferritin (AfFtn), TmFtn forms 24mer cages mediated by metal ions (Mg2+). We have solved the crystal structure of the wild type TmFtn and several mutants displaying different assembly/disassembly properties. These data combined with other biophysical studies allow us to suggest candidate interfacial amino acids crucial in controlling assembly. This work deepens our understanding of how these ferritin complexes assemble and is a useful step towards production of triggerable ferritins in which these properties can be finely designed and controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mantu Kumar
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7A, 30-392 Krakow, Poland.
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Pediconi N, Ghirga F, Del Plato C, Peruzzi G, Athanassopoulos CM, Mori M, Crestoni ME, Corinti D, Ugozzoli F, Massera C, Arcovito A, Botta B, Boffi A, Quaglio D, Baiocco P. Design and Synthesis of Piperazine-Based Compounds Conjugated to Humanized Ferritin as Delivery System of siRNA in Cancer Cells. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:1105-1116. [PMID: 33978420 PMCID: PMC8253483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression regulation by small interfering RNA (siRNA) holds promise in treating a wide range of diseases through selective gene silencing. However, successful clinical application of nucleic acid-based therapy requires novel delivery options. Herein, to achieve efficient delivery of negatively charged siRNA duplexes, the internal cavity of "humanized" chimeric Archaeal ferritin (HumAfFt) was specifically decorated with novel cationic piperazine-based compounds (PAs). By coupling these rigid-rod-like amines with thiol-reactive reagents, chemoselective conjugation was efficiently afforded on topologically selected cysteine residues properly located inside HumAfFt. The capability of PAs-HumAfFt to host and deliver siRNA molecules through human transferrin receptor (TfR1), overexpressed in many cancer cells, was explored. These systems allowed siRNA delivery into HeLa, HepG2, and MCF-7 cancer cells with improved silencing effect on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene expression with respect to traditional transfection methodologies and provided a promising TfR1-targeting system for multifunctional siRNA delivery to therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Pediconi
- Center
for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ghirga
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Del Plato
- Center
for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center
for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Constantinos M. Athanassopoulos
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Patras, GR-26504 Rio-Patras, Greece
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, University of
Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Elisa Crestoni
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Corinti
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Ugozzoli
- Department
of Engineering and Architecture, University
of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 181/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Chiara Massera
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Life and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Arcovito
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Biotecnologiche di base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Bruno Botta
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Boffi
- Center
for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Institute
of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National
Research Council, P.le
A. Moro 7, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Deborah Quaglio
- Department
of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Department of Excellence
2018−2022”, Sapienza University
of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Baiocco
- Center
for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), V.le Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Self-assembling ferritin-dendrimer nanoparticles for targeted delivery of nucleic acids to myeloid leukemia cells. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:172. [PMID: 34107976 PMCID: PMC8190868 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-00921-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, the use of ferritins as nano-vehicles for drug delivery is taking center stage. Compared to other similar nanocarriers, Archaeoglobus fulgidus ferritin is particularly interesting due to its unique ability to assemble-disassemble under very mild conditions. Recently this ferritin was engineered to get a chimeric protein targeted to human CD71 receptor, typically overexpressed in cancer cells. RESULTS Archaeoglobus fulgidus chimeric ferritin was used to generate a self-assembling hybrid nanoparticle hosting an aminic dendrimer together with a small nucleic acid. The positively charged dendrimer can indeed establish electrostatic interactions with the chimeric ferritin internal surface, allowing the formation of a protein-dendrimer binary system. The 4 large triangular openings on the ferritin shell represent a gate for negatively charged small RNAs, which access the internal cavity attracted by the dense positive charge of the dendrimer. This ternary protein-dendrimer-RNA system is efficiently uptaken by acute myeloid leukemia cells, typically difficult to transfect. As a proof of concept, we used a microRNA whose cellular delivery and induced phenotypic effects can be easily detected. In this article we have demonstrated that this hybrid nanoparticle successfully delivers a pre-miRNA to leukemia cells. Once delivered, the nucleic acid is released into the cytosol and processed to mature miRNA, thus eliciting phenotypic effects and morphological changes similar to the initial stages of granulocyte differentiation. CONCLUSION The results here presented pave the way for the design of a new family of protein-based transfecting agents that can specifically target a wide range of diseased cells.
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Shan H, Dou W, Zhang Y, Qi M. Targeted ferritin nanoparticle encapsulating CpG oligodeoxynucleotides induces tumor-associated macrophage M2 phenotype polarization into M1 phenotype and inhibits tumor growth. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:22268-22280. [PMID: 33146206 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr04520a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are primarily of the M2 type that facilitates tumor growth, metastasis, and immunosuppression. Therefore, repolarizing the TAMs to the pro-inflammatory M1 type is a promising therapeutic strategy against cancer. Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists like CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) can induce anti-tumor macrophages, however, their applications in vivo are limited by the lack of effective delivery approaches. Naked CpG ODNs fail to penetrate cell membranes and are easily cleared by nucleases, which can potentially trigger an inflammatory response in serum by systemic administration. Nanoparticles can deliver TLR agonists to the target TAMs following systemic administration and selectively accumulate in tumors and macrophages, and eventually trigger TLR signaling and M1 polarization. In this study, we developed a nanoparticle vector for the targeted delivery of CpG ODNs to M2 type TAMs by encapsulating the CpG ODNs inside human ferritin heavy chain (rHF) nanocages surface modified with a murine M2 macrophage-targeting peptide M2pep. These M2pep-rHF-CpG nanoparticles repolarized M2 TAMs to the M1 type and inhibited tumor growth in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice after intravenous injection. Furthermore, M2pep-rHF-CpG also reversed the phenotype of cultured human macrophages in vitro. Interestingly, the empty M2pep-rHF nanoparticles lacking CpG ODNs also exhibited anti-tumor ability. Taken together, M2pep-rHF nanoparticles offer a novel anti-cancer therapeutic strategy via targeted delivery of CpG ODNs to M2 type TAMs, and M2pep-rHF-CpG or M2pep-rHF nanoparticles may become promising medicines for tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shan
- The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518033, China.
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Huang H, Yuan S, Ma Z, Ji P, Ma X, Wu Z, Qi X. Genetic recombination of poly(l-lysine) functionalized apoferritin nanocages that resemble viral capsid nanometer-sized platforms for gene therapy. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:1759-1770. [PMID: 32010909 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01822k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Currently, bioengineered apoferritin nanocages with flexible protein shells and functionalized modifications have become an attractive approach for efficient anti-tumor therapy. Here, we modified the N-terminus of H-chain subunits in apoferritin with different amounts of lysine via genetic recombination to obtain a poly(l-lysine) modified H-chain apoferritin (nL-HFn) nanocage for siRNA delivery and gene therapy. To achieve excellent cellular affinity and uptake, the nanocarriers were internalized through transferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis, then escaped from the endosome for cytoplasmic transport. Compared with natural apoferritin, the siRNA-loaded genetic recombination NPs modified with lysine exhibit stronger RNA-interference and antitumor efficiency both in vitro and in 4T1 tumor model mice. Therefore, bioengineered apoferritin nanocages modified with lysine might be a promising platform for nucleic acid drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Shirui Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zhuo Ma
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Peng Ji
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiaonan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zhenghong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiaole Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Taking advantage of cellular uptake of ferritin nanocages for targeted drug delivery. J Control Release 2020; 325:176-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Huang H, Sha K, Veroniaina H, Wu Z, Wu Z, Qi X. Ca 2+ participating self-assembly of an apoferritin nanostructure for nucleic acid drug delivery. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:7347-7357. [PMID: 32206764 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr00547a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the most encountered obstacles for utilizing nano-sized vehicles to implement the in vivo delivery of nucleic acid drugs (NADs) is the possible steric hindrance caused by their intrinsic size and charge. In this work, we added Ca2+ for the pH triggered self-assembly process of H-apoferritin (HFn), to neutralize negative charges and help siRNA condense during complexation and particle formation. As expected, the internalization efficiency of siRNA in HFn particle formation could be enhanced 1.65-fold, compared with that without incorporated Ca2+. Furthermore, the calcification that occurred within the cavity of HFn particles endows them with endosomal escape capability, which could explain their contribution to the demonstrated in vitro and in vivo gene silencing effect achieved by the internalized siRNA. Thus, this Ca2+ participating self-assembly process of a protein nanostructure would lead to advanced internalization efficiency for NAD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China.
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Li J, Ji H, Jing Y, Wang S. pH- and acoustic-responsive platforms based on perfluoropentane-loaded protein nanoparticles for ovarian tumor-targeted ultrasound imaging and therapy. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2020; 15:31. [PMID: 32016619 PMCID: PMC6997325 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-020-3252-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we developed a multifunctional ultrasound (US) therapeutic agent that encapsulates perfluoropentane (PFP) into ferritin (FRT) and conjugates the tumor-targeting molecule folic acid (FA) (FA-FRT-PFP). The prepared FA-FRT-PFP had an average particle diameter of 42.8 ± 2.5 nm, a zeta potential of - 41.1 ± 1.7 mV and shows good stability in physiological solution and temperatures. FRT is a pH-sensitive cage protein that, at pH 5.0, disassembles to form pores that can load PFP. The adjustment to neutral pH closes the pores and encapsulates the PFP inside the FRT to form nanoparticles. At pH 5.0, 3 min of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU, 2 W/cm2) significantly enhanced the US signal of FA-FRT-PFP through the acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) effect. Under identical conditions, 4 min of LIFU irradiation caused the bubbles generated by FA-FRT-PFP to break. FA-FRT-PFP could be efficiently targeted into ovarian cancer cells and significantly enhanced the US contrast of FA-FRT-PFP after 3 min of LIFU irradiation. After 4 min of LIFU irradiation, cell viability significantly decreased due to necrosis, likely due to the FA-FRT-PFP mediated release of PFP in the acidic environment of lysosomes after entering the tumor cells. PFP is then transformed into bubbles that burst under LIFU irradiation, forming physical shock waves that lead to the destruction of the cell structure and necrosis, achieving tumor treatment. Taken together, this demonstrates that FA-FRT-PFP is both a novel and promising US theranostics agent for future clinic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Li
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan China
| | - Hong Ji
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan China
| | - Yong Jing
- Department of Imaging, Eastern Hospital of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, 610000 Sichuan China
| | - Shiguang Wang
- Department of Imaging, Eastern Hospital of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, 610000 Sichuan China
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Samanipour R, Wang T, Werb M, Hassannezhad H, Rangel JML, Hoorfar M, Hasan A, Lee CK, Shin SR. Ferritin Nanocage Conjugated Hybrid Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Applications. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:277-287. [PMID: 33313389 PMCID: PMC7725239 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b01482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogels have recently been attractive in various drug delivery and tissue engineering applications because of their structural similarities to the natural extracellular matrix. Despite enormous advances in the application of hydrogels, poor mechanical properties and lack of control for the release of drugs and biomolecules act as major barriers for widespread clinical applications. To overcome these challenges, we developed both physically and covalently conjugated nanocage-laden hydrogels between the surface of the nanocage and a gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel matrix. Ferritin and its empty-core equivalent apoferritin were used as nanocages that could be easily incorporated into a GelMA hydrogel via physical bonding. To fabricate covalently conjugated nanocage-laden GelMA hydrogels, ferritin and apoferritin were chemically modified to present the methacryloyl groups, ferritin methacryloyl (FerMA) and apoferritin methacryloyl (ApoMA), respectively. The covalently conjugated FerMA- and ApoMA-GelMA hydrogels offered a better ability to tune mechanical properties compared with those prepared by direct dispersion of ferritin and apoferritin into GelMA hydrogels with physical bonding, without affecting their porosity or cell growth. Furthermore, the ability of the nanocage to release small chemical compounds was confirmed by performing a cumulative release test on fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) encapsulated apoferritin and ApoMA incorporated GelMA hydrogels by pH stimulus. Thus, the nanocage incorporated hydrogels have emerged as excellent materials for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Samanipour
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ting Wang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Moritz Werb
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hamed Hassannezhad
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Juan Manuel Ledesma Rangel
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Mina Hoorfar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Anwarul Hasan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar
| | - Chang Kee Lee
- Korea Packaging Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Bucheon 31056, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Ryon Shin
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Jiang B, Fang L, Wu K, Yan X, Fan K. Ferritins as natural and artificial nanozymes for theranostics. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:687-706. [PMID: 31903145 PMCID: PMC6929972 DOI: 10.7150/thno.39827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanozymes are a class of nanomaterials with intrinsic enzyme-like characteristics which overcome the limitations of natural enzymes such as high cost, low stability and difficulty to large scale preparation. Nanozymes combine the advantages of chemical catalysts and natural enzymes together, and have exhibited great potential in biomedical applications. However, the size controllable synthesis and targeting modifications of nanozymes are still challenging. Here, we introduce ferritin nanozymes to solve these problems. Ferritins are natural nanozymes which exhibit intrinsic enzyme-like activities (e.g. ferroxidase, peroxidase). In addition, by biomimetically synthesizing nanozymes inside the ferritin protein shells, artificial ferritin nanozymes are introduced, which possess the advantages of versatile self-assembly ferritin nanocage and enzymatic activity of nanozymes. Ferritin nanozymes provide a new horizon for the development of nanozyme in disease targeted theranostics research. The emergence of ferritin nanozyme also inspires us to learn from the natural nanostructures to optimize or rationally design nanozymes. In this review, the intrinsic enzyme-like activities of ferritin and bioengineered synthesis of ferritin nanozyme were summarized. After that, the applications of ferritin nanozymes were covered. Finally, the advantages, challenges and future research directions of advanced ferritin nanozymes for biomedical research were discussed.
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41
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Varanko A, Saha S, Chilkoti A. Recent trends in protein and peptide-based biomaterials for advanced drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2020; 156:133-187. [PMID: 32871201 PMCID: PMC7456198 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Engineering protein and peptide-based materials for drug delivery applications has gained momentum due to their biochemical and biophysical properties over synthetic materials, including biocompatibility, ease of synthesis and purification, tunability, scalability, and lack of toxicity. These biomolecules have been used to develop a host of drug delivery platforms, such as peptide- and protein-drug conjugates, injectable particles, and drug depots to deliver small molecule drugs, therapeutic proteins, and nucleic acids. In this review, we discuss progress in engineering the architecture and biological functions of peptide-based biomaterials -naturally derived, chemically synthesized and recombinant- with a focus on the molecular features that modulate their structure-function relationships for drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Ji P, Huang H, Yuan S, Wang L, Wang S, Chen Y, Feng N, Veroniaina H, Wu Z, Wu Z, Qi X. ROS-Mediated Apoptosis and Anticancer Effect Achieved by Artesunate and Auxiliary Fe(II) Released from Ferriferous Oxide-Containing Recombinant Apoferritin. Adv Healthc Mater 2019; 8:e1900911. [PMID: 31701665 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201900911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis is considered a crucial therapeutic mechanisms for artesunate (AS). As an Fe(II)-dependent drug, the anticancer effect of AS is often limited due to insufficient Fe(II) concentration in targeted cells. To overcome this problem, a recombinant apoferritin nanocarrier containing ferriferous oxide (M-HFn) is constructed to produce auxiliary exogenous Fe(II) when delivering AS to cancer cells. Here, the newly fabricated AS-loaded M-HFn nanoparticles (M-HFn@AS NPs) can significantly improve the tumor-specific targeting and intracellular uptake efficiency of AS in human cervical carcinoma cells. After being captured in the acidic cavity of endosomes, M-HFn@AS NPs can simultaneously release Fe(II) and allow AS to activate satisfactory ROS-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, in vivo studies demonstrate that M-HFn@AS NPs can selectively accumulate in tumors to efficiently inhibit tumor growth. Thus, M-HFn@AS NPs are a promising system to enhance the therapeutic effect of Fe(II)-dependent drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ji
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Haiqin Huang
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Shirui Yuan
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Le Wang
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Siqi Wang
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Yiwei Chen
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Na Feng
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | | | - Ziheng Wu
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University Melbourne 3800 Australia
| | - Zhenghong Wu
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Xiaole Qi
- College of PharmacyChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
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Li R, Ma Y, Dong Y, Zhao Z, You C, Huang S, Li X, Wang F, Zhang Y. Novel Paclitaxel-Loaded Nanoparticles Based on Human H Chain Ferritin for Tumor-Targeted Delivery. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:6645-6654. [PMID: 33423483 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b01533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (PTX), an excellent chemotherapeutic antitumor drug, is widely used to treat patients with various cancers. However, its clinical applications are greatly restricted by poor solubility and lack of targeting. Herein, we applied natural human H chain ferritin (HFtn) nanocages that can bind to tumor cells via interacting with the human transferritin receptor 1 (TfR1) leading to its endocytosis as the PTX carrier for the targeted delivery. PTX molecules were encapsulated into HFtn cavity using disassembly/reassembly method through adjusting pH. According to the requirements of drugs suitable for clinical trials, HFtn can be easily purified in high yields with no ligand modification or property modulation. We demonstrated that PTX molecules were successfully encapsulated in the protein nanocages. The HFtn-PTX nanoparticles exhibited similar morphology and structural characteristics to the hollow cage and showed significant cytotoxicity in vitro than the naked PTX. Flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and in vivo imaging of MDA-MB-231 tumor demonstrated the HFtn-PTX nanoparticles targeting ability to tumor cells. Cell apoptosis assay showed that HFtn-PTX had similar apoptotic characteristics on MDA-MB-231 cells as that of the free PTX. HFtn-PTX nanoparticles have higher in vivo therapeutic efficacy and lower systemic toxicity. The BALB/c mice model also confirmed the effectiveness of the nanoparticles. Specifically targeting to tumors and solving the solubility issue of water-insoluble drugs thus alleviating the side effects, HFtn can be an efficient hydrophobic drug delivery nanocarrier for further applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruike Li
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Yuanmeng Ma
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Dong
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Zhujun Zhao
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Chaoqun You
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210089, P. R. China
| | - Shenlin Huang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Xun Li
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Fei Wang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
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Li X, Shao F, Sun J, Du K, Sun Y, Feng F. Enhanced Copper-Temozolomide Interactions by Protein for Chemotherapy against Glioblastoma Multiforme. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:41935-41945. [PMID: 31644262 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b14849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Current treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) demands dose-intense temozolomide (TMZ), a prodrug of 5-(3-methyltriazen-1-yl) imidazole-4-carboxamide (MTIC), based on the spontaneous hydrolysis of TMZ at basic pH. However, how to control the activity of MTIC remains unknown, which poses a particular challenge to search a reliable MTIC receptor. We reported that copper, for the first time, is found to recognize and bind MTIC in the process of TMZ degradation, which means copper can play an important role in enhancing the bioavailability of MTIC derived from TMZ. Using apoferritin as a model copper-bound protein, we studied the copper-TMZ interaction in protein and observed efficient MTIC immobilization with high binding efficiency (up to 92.9% based on original TMZ) and capacity (up to 185 MTIC moieties per protein). The system was stable against both alkaline and acidic pH and could be activated by glutathione to liberate MTIC, which paves a way to deliver a DNA-alkylating agent for both TMZ-sensitive and TMZ-resistant GBM chemotherapy. Our study provides a new insight for understanding the potential relationship between the special GBM microenvironment (specific copper accumulation) and the therapeutic effect of TMZ.
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Li C, Wang J, Wang Y, Gao H, Wei G, Huang Y, Yu H, Gan Y, Wang Y, Mei L, Chen H, Hu H, Zhang Z, Jin Y. Recent progress in drug delivery. Acta Pharm Sin B 2019; 9:1145-1162. [PMID: 31867161 PMCID: PMC6900554 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 405] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug delivery systems (DDS) are defined as methods by which drugs are delivered to desired tissues, organs, cells and subcellular organs for drug release and absorption through a variety of drug carriers. Its usual purpose to improve the pharmacological activities of therapeutic drugs and to overcome problems such as limited solubility, drug aggregation, low bioavailability, poor biodistribution, lack of selectivity, or to reduce the side effects of therapeutic drugs. During 2015-2018, significant progress in the research on drug delivery systems has been achieved along with advances in related fields, such as pharmaceutical sciences, material sciences and biomedical sciences. This review provides a concise overview of current progress in this research area through its focus on the delivery strategies, construction techniques and specific examples. It is a valuable reference for pharmaceutical scientists who want to learn more about the design of drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiancheng Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yiguang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Huile Gao
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Gang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haijun Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yong Gan
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lin Mei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Huabing Chen
- School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Haiyan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhiping Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yiguang Jin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
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He J, Fan K, Yan X. Ferritin drug carrier (FDC) for tumor targeting therapy. J Control Release 2019; 311-312:288-300. [PMID: 31494184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin is an iron storage protein that plays a key role in iron homeostasis and anti-oxidation of cells. Due to its unique architecture of 24 self-assembling subunits and hollow cavity capable of encapsulating drugs, and an outer surface that can be modified genetically and chemically for additional functionality, ferritin has recently emerged as a promising drug delivery vehicle. Recent research demonstrated that unmodified human heavy chain ferritin binds to its receptor, transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), in different types of tumor tissues, including lung and breast cancer, thus highlighting the potential use of ferritin for tumor-targeting applications. In this review, we consider the many favorable characteristics of ferritin drug carriers (FDCs) for tumor drug delivery. In particular, compared with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), ferritin exhibits superiority in a range of attributes, including drug loading ability, thermostability, and ease of production. Thus, the emergence of FDCs may be the next step in targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang He
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kelong Fan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Xiyun Yan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceutical, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Joint Laboratory of Nanozymes in Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University,Zhengzhou 450052, China.
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Palombarini F, Ghirga F, Boffi A, Macone A, Bonamore A. Application of crossflow ultrafiltration for scaling up the purification of a recombinant ferritin. Protein Expr Purif 2019; 163:105451. [PMID: 31301427 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Ferritin proteins are taking center stage as smart nanocarriers for drug delivery due to their hollow cage-like structures and their unique 24-meric assembly. Among all ferritins, the chimeric Archaeoglobus ferritin (HumFt) is able assemble/disassemble varying the ionic strength of the medium while recognizing human TfR1 receptor overexpressed in cancer cells. In this paper we present a highly efficient, large scale purification protocol mainly based on crossflow ultrafiltration, starting from fermented bacterial paste. This procedure allows one to obtain about 2 g of purified protein starting from 100 g of fermented bacterial paste. The current procedure can easily remove contaminant proteins as well as DNA molecules in the absence of expensive and time consuming chromatographic steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Palombarini
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ghirga
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Boffi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Macone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Bonamore
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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Jiang B, Zhang R, Zhang J, Hou Y, Chen X, Zhou M, Tian X, Hao C, Fan K, Yan X. GRP78-targeted ferritin nanocaged ultra-high dose of doxorubicin for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:2167-2182. [PMID: 31149036 PMCID: PMC6531302 DOI: 10.7150/thno.30867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, primarily due to its high incidence of recurrence and metastasis. Considerable efforts have therefore been undertaken to develop effective therapies; however, effective anti-HCC therapies rely on identification of suitable biomarkers, few of which are currently available for drug targeting. Methods: GRP78 was identified as the membrane receptor of HCC-targeted peptide SP94 by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrum analysis. To develop an effective anti-HCC drug nanocarrier, we first displayed GRP78-targeted peptide SP94 onto the exterior surface of Pyrococcus furiosus ferritin Fn (HccFn) by genetic engineering approach, and then loaded doxorubicin (Dox) into the cavities of HccFn via urea-based disassembly/reassembly method, thereby constructing a drug nanocarrier called HccFn-Dox. Results: We demonstrated that HccFn nanocage encapsulated ultra-high dose of Dox (up to 400 molecules Dox/protein nanocage). In vivo animal experiments showed that Dox encapsulated in HccFn-Dox was selectively delivered into HCC tumor cells, and effectively killed subcutaneous and lung metastatic HCC tumors. In addition, HccFn-Dox significantly reduced drug exposure to healthy organs and improved the maximum tolerated dose by six-fold compared with free Dox. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings clearly demonstrate that GRP78 is an effective biomarker for HCC therapy, and GRP78-targeted HccFn nanocage is effective in delivering anti-HCC drug without damage to healthy tissue.
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Emerging and Dynamic Biomedical Uses of Ferritin. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:ph11040124. [PMID: 30428583 PMCID: PMC6316788 DOI: 10.3390/ph11040124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferritin, a ubiquitously expressed protein, has classically been considered the main iron cellular storage molecule in the body. Owing to the ferroxidase activity of the H-subunit and the nucleation ability of the L-subunit, ferritin can store a large amount of iron within its mineral core. However, recent evidence has demonstrated a range of abilities of ferritin that extends well beyond the scope of iron storage. This review aims to discuss novel functions and biomedical uses of ferritin in the processes of iron delivery, delivery of biologics such as chemotherapies and contrast agents, and the utility of ferritin as a biomarker in a number of neurological diseases.
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Zhai M, Wang Y, Zhang L, Liang M, Fu S, Cui L, Yang M, Gong W, Li Z, Yu L, Xie X, Yang C, Yang Y, Gao C. Glioma targeting peptide modified apoferritin nanocage. Drug Deliv 2018; 25:1013-1024. [PMID: 29726297 PMCID: PMC6058491 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2018.1464082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic outcome for the treatment of glioma was often limited due to the non-targeted nature of drugs and the physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB). An ideal glioma-targeted delivery system must be sufficiently potent to cross the BBB and BBTB and then target glioma cells with adequate optimized physiochemical properties and biocompatibility. However, it is an enormous challenge to the researchers to engineer the above-mentioned features into a single nanocarrier particle. New frontiers in nanomedicine are advancing the research of new biomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate a strategy for glioma targeting by encapsulating vincristine sulfate (VCR) into a naturally available apoferritin nanocage-based drug delivery system with the modification of GKRK peptide ligand (GKRK-APO). Apoferritin (APO), an endogenous nanosize spherical protein, can specifically bind to brain endothelial cells and glioma cells via interacting with the transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1). GKRK is a peptide ligand of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) over-expressed on angiogenesis and glioma, presenting excellent glioma-homing property. By combining the dual-targeting delivery effect of GKRK peptide and parent APO, GKRK-APO displayed higher glioma localization than that of parent APO. After loading with VCR, GKRK-APO showed the most favorable antiglioma effect in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrated that GKRK-APO is an important potential drug delivery system for glioma-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meifang Zhai
- a College of Pharmacy of Jiamusi University , Jiamusi Heilongjiang , China.,b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Yuli Wang
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Ligang Zhang
- d Clinical Department, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital , Beijng , China
| | - Meng Liang
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Shiyao Fu
- a College of Pharmacy of Jiamusi University , Jiamusi Heilongjiang , China.,b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Lin Cui
- a College of Pharmacy of Jiamusi University , Jiamusi Heilongjiang , China.,b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Meiyan Yang
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Wei Gong
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Zhiping Li
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Lian Yu
- a College of Pharmacy of Jiamusi University , Jiamusi Heilongjiang , China
| | - Xiangyang Xie
- c Department of Pharmacy , Wuhan General Hospital of the PLA , Wuhan , China
| | - Chunrong Yang
- a College of Pharmacy of Jiamusi University , Jiamusi Heilongjiang , China
| | - Yang Yang
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
| | - Chunsheng Gao
- b State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures , Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Beijing , China
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