1
|
Fang X, Zeng J, Li Y, Yu H, Wu Z, Qi X. Hydroxychloroquine loaded hollow apoferritin nanocages for cancer drug repurposing and autophagy inhibition. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024:114473. [PMID: 39186959 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114473] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) is currently being repurposed for cancer treatment. The antitumor mechanism of HCQ is inhibition of cellular autophagy, but its therapeutic potential is severely limited by poor solubility, lack of tumor targeting and lower cellular uptake. Therefore, utilization of human H-chain apoferritin (HFn) composed only of heavy subunits is an attractive approach for tumor targeting drug delivery. This study focused on pH-triggered encapsulation of HCQ within the inner cavity of HFn to form HFn@HCQ nanoparticles for tumor-targeted drug delivery. Characterization using a range of techniques has been used to confirm the successful establishment of HFn@HCQ. HFn@HCQ exhibited pH-responsive release behavior, with almost no drug release at pH 7.4, but 80% release at pH 5.0. Owing to its intrinsic binding to transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), HFn@HCQ was significantly internalized through TfR1-mediated endocytosis, with a 4.4-fold difference of internalization amount across cell lines. Additionally, HFn@HCQ enhanced the antitumor effect against four different cancer cell lines when compared against HCQ alone, especially in TfR1 high-expressing cells, where the inhibitory effect was 3-fold higher than free HCQ. The autophagy inhibition of HFn@HCQ has been demonstrated, which is a major pathway to induce cancer cell death. According to current findings, HFn based drug delivery is a promising strategy to target and kill TfR1 overexpressing tumor cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinning Fang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jia Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yitong Li
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Han Yu
- 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; Hangzhou Innovative Institute of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sitia L, Saccomandi P, Bianchi L, Sevieri M, Sottani C, Allevi R, Grignani E, Mazzucchelli S, Corsi F. Combined Ferritin Nanocarriers with ICG for Effective Phototherapy Against Breast Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:4263-4278. [PMID: 38766663 PMCID: PMC11102096 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s445334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a promising, minimally invasive treatment for cancer with high immunostimulatory potential, no reported drug resistance, and reduced side effects. Indocyanine Green (ICG) has been used as a photosensitizer (PS) for PDT, although its poor stability and low tumor-target specificity strongly limit its efficacy. To overcome these limitations, ICG can be formulated as a tumor-targeting nanoparticle (NP). Methods We nanoformulated ICG into recombinant heavy-ferritin nanocages (HFn-ICG). HFn has a specific interaction with transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), which is overexpressed in most tumors, thus increasing HFn tumor tropism. First, we tested the properties of HFn-ICG as a PS upon irradiation with a continuous-wave diode laser. Then, we evaluated PDT efficacy in two breast cancer (BC) cell lines with different TfR1 expression levels. Finally, we measured the levels of intracellular endogenous heavy ferritin (H-Fn) after PDT treatment. In fact, it is known that cells undergoing ROS-induced autophagy, as in PDT, tend to increase their ferritin levels as a defence mechanism. By measuring intracellular H-Fn, we verified whether this interplay between internalized HFn and endogenous H-Fn could be used to maximize HFn uptake and PDT efficacy. Results We previously demonstrated that HFn-ICG stabilized ICG molecules and increased their delivery to the target site in vitro and in vivo for fluorescence guided surgery. Here, with the aim of using HFn-ICG for PDT, we showed that HFn-ICG improved treatment efficacy in BC cells, depending on their TfR1 expression. Our data revealed that endogenous H-Fn levels were increased after PDT treatment, suggesting that this defence reaction against oxidative stress could be used to enhance HFn-ICG uptake in cells, increasing treatment efficacy. Conclusion The strong PDT efficacy and peculiar Trojan horse-like mechanism, that we revealed for the first time in literature, confirmed the promising application of HFn-ICG in PDT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Sitia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Saccomandi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Leonardo Bianchi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Sottani
- Environmental Research Center, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Raffaele Allevi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Grignani
- Environmental Research Center, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rajabinejad M, Valadan R, Tehrani M, Najafi A, Negarandeh R, Saeedi M, Asgarian-Omran H. Effective delivery of anti-PD-L1 siRNA with human heavy chain ferritin (HFn) in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines. Med Oncol 2024; 41:149. [PMID: 38739199 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02393-7] [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: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Because of the high biocompatibility, self-assembly capability, and CD71-mediated endocytosis, using human heavy chain ferritin (HFn) as a nanocarrier would greatly increase therapeutic effectiveness and reduce possible adverse events. Anti-PD-L1 siRNA can downregulate the level of PD-L1 on tumor cells, resulting in the activation of effector T cells against leukemia. Therefore, this study aimed to produce the tumor-targeting siPD-L1/HFn nanocarrier. Briefly, the HFn coding sequence was cloned into a pET-28a, and the constructed expression plasmid was subsequently transformed into E. coli BL21. After induction of Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), HFn was purified with Ni-affinity chromatography and dialyzed against PBS. The protein characteristics were analyzed using SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, and Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The final concentration was assessed using the Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. The encapsulation was performed using the standard pH system. The treatment effects of siPD-L1/HFn were carried out on HL-60 and K-562 cancer cell lines. The RT-PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression of PD-L1. The biocompatibility and excretion of siPD-L1/HFn have also been evaluated. The expression and purity of HFn were well verified through SDS-PAGE, WB, and DLS. RT-PCR analyses also showed significant siRNA-mediated PD-L1 silencing in both HL-60 and K-562 cells. Our study suggested a promising approach for siRNA delivery. This efficient delivery system can pave the way for the co-delivery of siRNAs and multiple chemotherapies to address the emerging needs of cancer combination therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Misagh Rajabinejad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Reza Valadan
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mohsen Tehrani
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Najafi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Reza Negarandeh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Majid Saeedi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hossein Asgarian-Omran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sevieri M, Andreata F, Mainini F, Signati L, Piccotti F, Truffi M, Bonizzi A, Sitia L, Pigliacelli C, Morasso C, Tagliaferri B, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Impact of doxorubicin-loaded ferritin nanocages (FerOX) vs. free doxorubicin on T lymphocytes: a translational clinical study on breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:184. [PMID: 38622644 PMCID: PMC11020177 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02441-4] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the advent of numerous targeted therapies in clinical practice, anthracyclines, including doxorubicin (DOX), continue to play a pivotal role in breast cancer (BC) treatment. DOX directly disrupts DNA replication, demonstrating remarkable efficacy against BC cells. However, its non-specificity toward cancer cells leads to significant side effects, limiting its clinical utility. Interestingly, DOX can also enhance the antitumor immune response by promoting immunogenic cell death in BC cells, thereby facilitating the presentation of tumor antigens to the adaptive immune system. However, the generation of an adaptive immune response involves highly proliferative processes, which may be adversely affected by DOX-induced cytotoxicity. Therefore, understanding the impact of DOX on dividing T cells becomes crucial, to deepen our understanding and potentially devise strategies to shield anti-tumor immunity from DOX-induced toxicity. Our investigation focused on studying DOX uptake and its effects on human lymphocytes. We collected lymphocytes from healthy donors and BC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Notably, patient-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) promptly internalized DOX when incubated in vitro or isolated immediately after NAC. These DOX-treated PBMCs exhibited significant proliferative impairment compared to untreated cells or those isolated before treatment initiation. Intriguingly, among diverse lymphocyte sub-populations, CD8 + T cells exhibited the highest uptake of DOX. To address this concern, we explored a novel DOX formulation encapsulated in ferritin nanocages (FerOX). FerOX specifically targets tumors and effectively eradicates BC both in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, only T cells treated with FerOX exhibited reduced DOX internalization, potentially minimizing cytotoxic effects on adaptive immunity.Our findings underscore the importance of optimizing DOX delivery to enhance its antitumor efficacy while minimizing adverse effects, highlighting the pivotal role played by FerOX in mitigating DOX-induced toxicity towards T-cells, thereby positioning it as a promising DOX formulation. This study contributes valuable insights to modern cancer therapy and immunomodulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sevieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy
| | - Francesco Andreata
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Mainini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy
| | - Lorena Signati
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | | | - Marta Truffi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Leopoldo Sitia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy
| | - Claudia Pigliacelli
- Laboratory of Supramolecular and Bio-Nanomaterials (SBNLab), Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milano, 20131, Italy
| | - Carlo Morasso
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Corsi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy.
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, 27100, Italy.
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche, Università di Milano, Milan, 20157, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang S, Chen M, Geng Z, Liu T, Li S, Yu Q, Cao L, Liu D. Potential Application of Self-Assembled Peptides and Proteins in Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17056. [PMID: 38069380 PMCID: PMC10706889 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing research is gradually broadening the idea of cancer treatment, with attention being focused on nanoparticles to improve the stability, therapeutic efficacy, targeting, and other important metrics of conventional drugs and traditional drug delivery methods. Studies have demonstrated that drug delivery carriers based on biomaterials (e.g., protein nanoparticles and lipids) and inorganic materials (e.g., metal nanoparticles) have potential anticancer effects. Among these carriers, self-assembled proteins and peptides, which are highly biocompatible and easy to standardize and produce, are strong candidates for the preparation of anticancer drugs. Breast cancer (BC) and cervical cancer (CC) are two of the most common and deadly cancers in women. These cancers not only threaten lives globally but also put a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Despite advances in medical care, the incidence of these two cancers, particularly CC, which is almost entirely preventable, continues to rise, and the mortality rate remains steady. Therefore, there is still a need for in-depth research on these two cancers to develop more targeted, efficacious, and safe therapies. This paper reviews the types of self-assembling proteins and peptides (e.g., ferritin, albumin, and virus-like particles) and natural products (e.g., soy and paclitaxel) commonly used in the treatment of BC and CC and describes the types of drugs that can be delivered using self-assembling proteins and peptides as carriers (e.g., siRNAs, DNA, plasmids, and mRNAs). The mechanisms (including self-assembly) by which the natural products act on CC and BC are discussed. The mechanism of action of natural products on CC and BC and the mechanism of action of self-assembled proteins and peptides have many similarities (e.g., NF-KB and Wnt). Thus, natural products using self-assembled proteins and peptides as carriers show potential for the treatment of BC and CC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Lingling Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China; (S.Z.); (M.C.); (Z.G.); (T.L.); (S.L.); (Q.Y.)
| | - Da Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China; (S.Z.); (M.C.); (Z.G.); (T.L.); (S.L.); (Q.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fracasso G, Falvo E, Tisci G, Sala G, Colotti G, Cingarlini S, Tito C, Bibbo S, Frusteri C, Tremante E, Giordani E, Giacomini P, Ceci P. Widespread in vivo efficacy of The-0504: A conditionally-activatable nanoferritin for tumor-agnostic targeting of CD71-expressing cancers. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20770. [PMID: 37860543 PMCID: PMC10582389 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20770] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer is still among the leading causes of death all over the world. Improving chemotherapy and minimizing associated toxicities are major unmet medical needs. Recently, we provided a preliminary preclinical evaluation of a human ferritin (HFt)-based drug carrier (The-0504) that selectively delivers the wide-spectrum topoisomerase I inhibitor Genz-644282 to CD71-expressing tumors. The-0504 has so far been evaluated on four different human tumor xenotransplant models (breast, colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers). Methods Herein, we extend our studies, by: (a) testing DNA damage in vitro, (b) treating eight additional tumor xenograft models in vivo with The-0504; (c) performing pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in rats; and (d) evaluating The-0504 anti-tumor xenotransplant efficacy by optimizing its administration schedule based on PK considerations. Results Immunofluorescence demonstrated that The-0504 induces foci expressing the DNA double-strand break marker γH2AX. Expression increases up to 4-fold and is more persistent as compared to free Genz-644282. In vivo studies confirmed a remarkable anti-tumor activity of The-0504, resulting in tumor eradication in most murine xenograft models, regardless of embryological origin (e.g. epithelial, mesenchymal or neuroendocrine), and molecular subtypes. PK studies demonstrated a long persistence of The-0504 in rat serum (half-life of about 40 h as compared to 15 h of the free drug), with a 400-fold increase in peak concentrations as compared to the free drug. On this basis, we reduced The-0504 administration frequency from twice to once per week, with no appreciable loss in therapeutic efficacy in mice. Conclusion The results presented here confirm that The-0504 is highly active against several human tumor xenotransplants, even when administered less frequently than previously reported. The-0504 may be a good candidate for further clinical development in a tumor histotype-agnostic setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Fracasso
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Falvo
- CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giada Tisci
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sala
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Chieti, Italy
| | - Gianni Colotti
- CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Cingarlini
- Section of Oncology, Verona University Hospital Trust, Verona, Italy
| | - Claudia Tito
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Bibbo
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Tremante
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, UOC Translational Oncology Research, IRCCS National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Giordani
- Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizio Giacomini
- Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Ceci
- CNR–National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, 00185, Rome, Italy
- Thena Biotech, Latina, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Affatigato L, Sciortino A, Sancataldo G, Incocciati A, Piacentini R, Bonamore A, Cannas M, Messina F, Licciardi M, Militello V. Engineered Ferritin with Eu 3+ as a Bright Nanovector: A Photoluminescence Study. Photochem Photobiol 2023; 99:1218-1224. [PMID: 36484733 DOI: 10.1111/php.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ferritin nanoparticles play many important roles in theranostic and bioengineering applications and have been successfully used as nanovectors for the targeted delivery of drugs due to their ability to specifically bind the transferrin receptor (TfR1, or CD71). They can be either genetically or chemically modified for encapsulating therapeutics or probes in their inner cavity. Here, we analyzed a new engineered ferritin nanoparticle, made of the H chain mouse ferritin (HFt) fused with a specific lanthanide binding tag (LBT). The HFt-LBT has one high affinity lanthanide binding site per each of the 24 subunits and a tryptophane residue within the tag that acts as an antenna able to transfer the energy to the lanthanide ions via a LRET process. In this study, among lanthanides, we selected europium for its red emission that allows to reduce overlap with tissue auto-fluorescence. Steady state emission measurements and time-resolved emission spectroscopy have been employed to investigate the interaction between the HFt-LBT and the Eu3+ ions. This allowed us to identify the Eu3+ energy states involved in the process and to pave the way for the future use of HFt-LBT Eu3+ complex in theranostics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Affatigato
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alice Sciortino
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sancataldo
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessio Incocciati
- Department of Biochemistry - A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Piacentini
- Department of Biochemistry - A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bonamore
- Department of Biochemistry - A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cannas
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Messina
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mariano Licciardi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valeria Militello
- Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
João J, Prazeres DMF. Manufacturing of non-viral protein nanocages for biotechnological and biomedical applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1200729. [PMID: 37520292 PMCID: PMC10374429 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1200729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein nanocages are highly ordered nanometer scale architectures, which are typically formed by homo- or hetero-self-assembly of multiple monomers into symmetric structures of different size and shape. The intrinsic characteristics of protein nanocages make them very attractive and promising as a biological nanomaterial. These include, among others, a high surface/volume ratio, multi-functionality, ease to modify or manipulate genetically or chemically, high stability, mono-dispersity, and biocompatibility. Since the beginning of the investigation into protein nanocages, several applications were conceived in a variety of areas such as drug delivery, vaccine development, bioimaging, biomineralization, nanomaterial synthesis and biocatalysis. The ability to generate large amounts of pure and well-folded protein assemblies is one of the keys to transform nanocages into clinically valuable products and move biomedical applications forward. This calls for the development of more efficient biomanufacturing processes and for the setting up of analytical techniques adequate for the quality control and characterization of the biological function and structure of nanocages. This review concisely covers and overviews the progress made since the emergence of protein nanocages as a new, next-generation class of biologics. A brief outline of non-viral protein nanocages is followed by a presentation of their main applications in the areas of bioengineering, biotechnology, and biomedicine. Afterwards, we focus on a description of the current processes used in the manufacturing of protein nanocages with particular emphasis on the most relevant aspects of production and purification. The state-of-the-art on current characterization techniques is then described and future alternative or complementary approaches in development are also discussed. Finally, a critical analysis of the limitations and drawbacks of the current manufacturing strategies is presented, alongside with the identification of the major challenges and bottlenecks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge João
- iBB–Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB–Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Duarte Miguel F. Prazeres
- iBB–Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB–Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James R Connor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Budiarta M, Roy S, Katenkamp T, Feliu N, Beck T. Overcoming Non-Specific Interactions for Efficient Encapsulation of Doxorubicin in Ferritin Nanocages for Targeted Drug Delivery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2205606. [PMID: 36748864 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202205606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Due to its beneficial pharmacological properties, ferritin (Ftn) is considered as an interesting drug delivery vehicle to alleviate the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) in chemotherapy. However, the encapsulation of DOX in Ftn suffers from heavy precipitation and low protein recovery yield which limits its full potential. Here, a new DOX encapsulation strategy by cysteine-maleimide conjugation is proposed. In order to demonstrate that this strategy is more efficient compared to the other approaches, DOX is encapsulated in Ftn variants carrying different surface charges. Furthermore, in contrast to the common belief, this data show that DOX molecules are also found to bind non-specifically to the surface of Ftn. This can be circumvented by the use of Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) during encapsulation or by washing with acidic buffer. The biocompatibility studies of the resulting DOX Ftn variants in MCF-7 and MHS cancer cells shows a complex relationship between the cytotoxicity, the DOX loading and the different surface charges of Ftn. Further investigation on the cell uptake mechanism provides reasonable explanations for the cytotoxicity results and reveals that surface charging of Ftn hinders its transferrin receptor 1 (TfR-1) mediated cellular uptake in MCF-7 cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Made Budiarta
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Landoltweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sathi Roy
- Fraunhofer Center for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN), Fraunhofer IAP, Grindelallee 117, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
- Center for Hybrid Nanostructures (CHyN), Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Katenkamp
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neus Feliu
- Fraunhofer Center for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN), Fraunhofer IAP, Grindelallee 117, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
- Center for Hybrid Nanostructures (CHyN), Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22607, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Beck
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sitia L, Galbiati V, Bonizzi A, Sevieri M, Truffi M, Pinori M, Corsini E, Marinovich M, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. In Vitro Immunoreactivity Evaluation of H-Ferritin-Based Nanodrugs. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:845-855. [PMID: 36827653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Biological nanoparticles, such as proteins and extracellular vesicles, are rapidly growing as nanobased drug-delivery agents due to their biocompatibility, high loading efficiency, and bioavailability. However, most of the candidates emerging preclinically hardly confirm their potential when entering clinical trials. Among other reasons, this is due to the low control of synthesis processes and the limited characterization of their potential immunoreactivity profiles. Here, we propose a combined method that allow us to fully characterize H-ferritin nanoparticles' immunoreactivity during their production, purification, endotoxin removal, and drug loading. H-Ferritin is an extremely interesting nanocage that is being under evaluation for cancer therapy due to its innate cancer tropism, favorable size, and high stability. However, being a recombinant protein, its immunoreactivity should be carefully evaluated preclinically to enable further clinical translation. Surprisingly, this aspect is often underestimated by the scientific community. By measuring proinflammatory cytokine release as a function of endotoxin content, we found that even removing all pyrogenic contaminants from the nanocage, a mild immunoreactivity was still left. When we further purified H-ferritin by loading doxorubicin through a highly standardized loading method, proinflammatory cytokine release was eliminated. This confirmed the safety of H-ferritin nanocages to be used for drug delivery in cancer therapy. Our approach demonstrated that when evaluating the safety of nanodrugs, a combined analysis of acute toxicity and immunoreactivity is necessary to guarantee the safety of newly developed products and to unveil their real translational potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Sitia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Truffi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Mattia Pinori
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Marinovich
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tailored Functionalized Protein Nanocarriers for Cancer Therapy: Recent Developments and Prospects. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15010168. [PMID: 36678796 PMCID: PMC9861211 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, the potential use of nanoparticles for the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents has garnered increased interest. Several nanoparticle drug delivery systems have been developed for cancer treatment. Typically, protein-based nanocarriers offer several advantages, including biodegradability and biocompatibility. Using genetic engineering or chemical conjugation approaches, well-known naturally occurring protein nanoparticles can be further prepared, engineered, and functionalized in their self-assembly to meet the demands of clinical production efficiency. Accordingly, promising protein nanoparticles have been developed with outstanding tumor-targeting capabilities, ultimately overcoming multidrug resistance issues, in vivo delivery barriers, and mimicking the tumor microenvironment. Bioinspired by natural nanoparticles, advanced computational techniques have been harnessed for the programmable design of highly homogenous protein nanoparticles, which could open new routes for the rational design of vaccines and drug formulations. The current review aims to present several significant advancements made in protein nanoparticle technology, and their use in cancer therapy. Additionally, tailored construction methods and therapeutic applications of engineered protein-based nanoparticles are discussed.
Collapse
|
15
|
Direct quantification of cytosolic delivery of drug nanocarriers using FlAsH-EDT2. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2023; 47:102626. [PMID: 36356708 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2022.102626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The delivery of therapeutics across the cell membrane and into the cytoplasm is a major challenge that limits the development of new therapies. This challenge is compounded by the lack of a general assay for cytosolic delivery. Here we develop this assay based on the pro-fluorophore CrAsH-EDT2, and provide cytosolic penetration results for a variety of drug delivery agents (polyethyleneimine, poly-arginine, Ferritin, poly [maleic anhydride-alt-isobutene] grafted with dodecylamine, and cationic liposomes) into HeLa and T98G cells. Our results show that this method can be widely applicable to different cells and drug delivery agents, and yield statistically robust results. We later use this method to optimize and improve a model drug delivery agent's (Ferritin) cytosolic penetration.
Collapse
|
16
|
Fiandra L. Meet the Editorial Board Member. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/138920102312220810155903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Fiandra
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences,
University of Milano Bicocca,
Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gagliardi S, Truffi M, Tinelli V, Garofalo M, Pandini C, Cotta Ramusino M, Perini G, Costa A, Negri S, Mazzucchelli S, Bonizzi A, Sitia L, Busacca M, Sevieri M, Mocchi M, Ricciardi A, Prosperi D, Corsi F, Cereda C, Morasso C. Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC)-Loaded H-Ferritin-Nanocages Mediate the Regulation of Inflammation in Alzheimer's Disease Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9237. [PMID: 36012501 PMCID: PMC9409287 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDC) might be an inflammation inhibitor in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). However, BDC is almost insoluble in water, poorly absorbed by the organism, and degrades rapidly. We thus developed a new nanoformulation of BDC based on H-Ferritin nanocages (BDC-HFn). METHODS We tested the BDC-HFn solubility, stability, and ability to cross a blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. We tested the effect of BDC-HFn on AD and control (CTR) PBMCs to evaluate the transcriptomic profile by RNA-seq. RESULTS We developed a nanoformulation with a diameter of 12 nm to improve the solubility and stability. The comparison of the transcriptomics analyses between AD patients before and after BDC-HFn treatment showed a major number of DEG (2517). The pathway analysis showed that chemokines and macrophages activation differed between AD patients and controls after BDC-HFn treatment. BDC-HFn binds endothelial cells from the cerebral cortex and crosses through a BBB in vitro model. CONCLUSIONS Our data showed how BDC-Hfn could improve the stability of BDC. Significant differences in genes associated with inflammation between the same patients before and after BDC-Hfn treatment have been found. Inflammatory genes that are upregulated between AD and CTR after BDC-HFn treatment are converted and downregulated, suggesting a possible therapeutic approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Truffi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Spa SB, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Veronica Tinelli
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Alfredo Costa
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Negri
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Spa SB, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Leopoldo Sitia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Marta Sevieri
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Michela Mocchi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Spa SB, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Davide Prosperi
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Spa SB, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Morasso
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Spa SB, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Colombo M, Marongiu L, Mingozzi F, Marzi R, Cigni C, Facchini FA, Rotem R, Valache M, Stucchi G, Rocca G, Gornati L, Rizzuto MA, Salvioni L, Zanoni I, Gori A, Prosperi D, Granucci F. Specific immunosuppressive role of nanodrugs targeting calcineurin in innate myeloid cells. iScience 2022; 25:105042. [PMID: 36124235 PMCID: PMC9482116 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin (CN) inhibitors currently used to avoid transplant rejection block the activation of adaptive immune responses but also prevent the development of tolerance toward the graft, by directly inhibiting T cells. CN, through the transcription factors of the NFAT family, plays an important role also in the differentiation dendritic cells (DCs), the main cells responsible for the activation of T lymphocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that the inhibition of CN only in DCs and not in T cells could be sufficient to prevent T cell responses, while allowing for the development of tolerance. Here, we show that inhibition of CN/NFAT pathway in innate myeloid cells, using a new nanoconjugate capable of selectively targeting phagocytes in vivo, protects against graft rejection and induces a longer graft acceptance compared to common CN inhibitors. We propose a new generation of nanoparticles-based selective immune suppressive agents for a better control of transplant acceptance. Calcineurin/NFATc2 pathway is required to enable DC migration to draining lymph nodes Calcineurin/NFATc2 pathway in DCs is required for type I immune responses activation Superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs can be used to efficiently target phagocytes in vivo Specific delivery of calcineurin inhibitor by NPs to phagocytes induce graft acceptance
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Colombo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Marongiu
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Mingozzi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Marzi
- Humabs BioMed, Bellinzona, Canton Ticino, Switzerland
| | - Clara Cigni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Alessandro Facchini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Rany Rotem
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Mihai Valache
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Stucchi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Rocca
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Gornati
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Rizzuto
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Salvioni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Zanoni
- Harvard Medical School and Division of Immunology, Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alessandro Gori
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, National Research Council of Italy (SCITEC-CNR), Via Mario Bianco, 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Prosperi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Corresponding author
| | - Francesca Granucci
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Xu X, Tian K, Lou X, Du Y. Potential of Ferritin-Based Platforms for Tumor Immunotherapy. Molecules 2022; 27:2716. [PMID: 35566065 PMCID: PMC9104857 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferritin is an iron storage protein that plays a key role in iron homeostasis and cellular antioxidant activity. Ferritin has many advantages as a tumor immunotherapy platform, including a small particle size that allows for penetration into tumor-draining lymph nodes or tumor tissue, a unique structure consisting of 24 self-assembled subunits, cavities that can encapsulate drugs, natural targeting functions, and a modifiable outer surface. In this review, we summarize related research applying ferritin as a tumor immune vaccine or a nanocarrier for immunomodulator drugs based on different targeting mechanisms (including dendritic cells, tumor-associated macrophages, tumor-associated fibroblasts, and tumor cells). In addition, a ferritin-based tumor vaccine expected to protect against a wide range of coronaviruses by targeting multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 has entered phase I clinical trials, and its efficacy is described in this review. Although ferritin is already on the road to transformation, there are still many difficulties to overcome. Therefore, three barriers (drug loading, modification sites, and animal models) are also discussed in this paper. Notwithstanding, the ferritin-based nanoplatform has great potential for tumor immunotherapy, with greater possibility of clinical transformation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, China; (X.X.); (K.T.)
| | - Kewei Tian
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, China; (X.X.); (K.T.)
| | - Xuefang Lou
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Yongzhong Du
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kuruppu AI, Turyanska L, Bradshaw TD, Manickam S, Galhena BP, Paranagama P, De Silva R. Apoferritin and Dps as drug delivery vehicles: Some selected examples in oncology. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130067. [PMID: 34896255 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.130067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ideal nanoparticle should be able to encapsulate either pharmaceutical agents or imaging probes so that it could treat or image clinical tumours by targeting the cancer site efficiently. Further, it would be an added advantage if it demonstrates: small size, built in targeting, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Ferritin, which is an endogenous self-assembling protein, stores iron and plays a role in iron homeostasis. When iron atoms are removed apoferritin (AFt) is formed which consists of a hollow shell where it can be used to load guest molecules. Due to its unique architecture, AFt has been investigated as a versatile carrier for tumour theranostic applications. DNA-binding protein from starved cells (Dps), which also belongs to the ferritin family, is a protein found only in prokaryotes. It is used to store iron and protect chromosomes from oxidative damage; because of its architecture, Dps could also be used as a delivery vehicle. CONCLUSIONS Both these nano particles are promising in the field of oncology, especially due to their stability, solubility and biocompatibility features. Further their exterior surface can be modified for better tumour-targeting ability. More studies, are warranted to determine the immunogenicity, biodistribution, and clearance from the body. GENERAL PERSPECTIVE This review discusses a few selected examples of the remarkable in vitro and in vivo studies that have been carried out in the recent past with the use of AFt and Dps in targeting and delivery of various pharmaceutical agents, natural products and imaging probes in the field of oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anchala I Kuruppu
- Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research & Education, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka.
| | | | | | - Sivakumar Manickam
- Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Bandula Prasanna Galhena
- Department Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Priyani Paranagama
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka; Institute of Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Ranil De Silva
- Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research & Education, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sottani C, Grignani E, Cottica D, Mazzucchelli S, Sevieri M, Chesi A, Corsi F, Galfrè S, Robustelli Della Cuna FS, Calleri E. Development and Validation of a Bioanalytical UHPLC-MS/MS Method Applied to Murine Liver Tissue for the Determination of Indocyanine Green Loaded in H-Ferritin Nanoparticles. Front Chem 2022; 9:784123. [PMID: 35047479 PMCID: PMC8762227 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.784123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Indocyanine green (ICG) is one of the most commonly used fluorophores in near-infrared fluorescence-guided techniques. However, the molecule is prone to form aggregates in saline solution with a limited photostability and a moderate fluorescence yield. ICG was thus formulated using protein-based nanoparticles of H-ferritin (HFn) in order to generate a new nanostructure, HFn-ICG. In this study, an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) system was employed to develop and validate the quantitative analysis of ICG in liver tissue samples from HFn-ICG-treated mice. To precipitate HFn, cold acetone in acidic solution at pH 5.0 was used. The processed liver samples were injected into the UHPLC-MS/MS system for analysis using the positive electrospray ionization mode. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Acquity UPLC® HSS T3 Column (1.8 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm) with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase with gradient elution. The selected reaction monitoring transitions of m / z 753 → m / z 330 and m / z 827 → m / z 330 were applied for ICG and IR-820 (the internal standard, IS), respectively. The method was selective and linear over a concentration range of 50-1,500 ng/ml. The method was validated for sensitivity, accuracy, precision, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability in liver tissue homogenates. ICG extraction recoveries ranged between 85 and 108%. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 6.28%. The method was applied to a bio-distribution study to compare the amount of ICG levels from mice treated with HFn-ICG and free ICG. The analyses of the homogenate samples from the two types of treatment showed that the concentration levels of ICG is approximately six-fold higher than those of free ICG (1,411 ± 7.62 ng/ml vs. 235 ± 26.0 ng/ml) at 2 h post injection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sottani
- Environmental Research Center, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Grignani
- Environmental Research Center, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Danilo Cottica
- Environmental Research Center, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Milano University, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Milano University, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Chesi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Milano University, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Milano University, Milan, Italy.,Breast Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sarah Galfrè
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Enrica Calleri
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lieser RM, Li Q, Chen W, Sullivan MO. Incorporation of Endosomolytic Peptides with Varying Disruption Mechanisms into EGFR-Targeted Protein Conjugates: The Effect on Intracellular Protein Delivery and EGFR Specificity in Breast Cancer Cells. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:661-673. [PMID: 35040326 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular delivery of protein therapeutics remains a significant challenge limiting the majority of clinically available protein drugs to extracellular targets. Strategies to deliver proteins to subcellular compartments have traditionally relied on cell-penetrating peptides, which can drive enhanced internalization but exhibit unreliable activity and are rarely able to target specific cells, leading to off-target effects. Moreover, few design rules exist regarding the relative efficacy of various endosomal escape strategies in proteins. Accordingly, we developed a simple fusion modification approach to incorporate endosomolytic peptides onto epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted protein conjugates and performed a systematic comparison of the endosomal escape efficacy, mechanism of action, and capacity to maintain EGFR-targeting specificity of conjugates modified with four different endosomolytic sequences of varying modes of action (Aurein 1.2, GALA, HA2, and L17E). Use of the recently developed Gal8-YFP assay indicated that the fusion of each endosomolytic peptide led to enhanced endosomal disruption. Additionally, the incorporation of each endosomolytic peptide increased the half-life of the internalized protein and lowered lysosomal colocalization, further supporting the membrane-disruptive capacity. Despite this, only EGFR-targeted conjugates modified with Aurein 1.2 or GALA maintained EGFR specificity. These results thus demonstrated that the choice of endosomal escape moiety can substantially affect targeting capability, cytotoxicity, and bioactivity and provided important new insights into endosomolytic peptide selection for the design of targeted protein delivery systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Lieser
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Qirun Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
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.
Collapse
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.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Tullio C, Salvioni L, Bellini M, Degrassi A, Fiandra L, D’Arienzo M, Garbujo S, Rotem R, Testa F, Prosperi D, Colombo M. Development of an Effective Tumor-Targeted Contrast Agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based on Mn/H-Ferritin Nanocomplexes. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:7800-7810. [PMID: 34805780 PMCID: PMC8596607 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.1c00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most sophisticated diagnostic tools that is routinely used in clinical practice. Contrast agents (CAs) are commonly exploited to afford much clearer images of detectable organs and to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis caused by limited MRI sensitivity. Currently, only a few gadolinium-based CAs are approved for clinical use. Concerns about their toxicity remain, and their administration is approved only under strict controls. Here, we report the synthesis and validation of a manganese-based CA, namely, Mn@HFn-RT. Manganese is an endogenous paramagnetic metal able to produce a positive contrast like gadolinium, but it is thought to result in less toxicity for the human body. Mn ions were efficiently loaded inside the shell of a recombinant H-ferritin (HFn), which is selectively recognized by the majority of human cancer cells through their transferrin receptor 1. Mn@HFn-RT was characterized, showing excellent colloidal stability, superior relaxivity, and a good safety profile. In vitro experiments confirmed the ability of Mn@HFn-RT to efficiently and selectively target breast cancer cells. In vivo, Mn@HFn-RT allowed the direct detection of tumors by positive contrast enhancement in a breast cancer murine model, using very low metal dosages and exhibiting rapid clearance after diagnosis. Hence, Mn@HFn-RT is proposed as a promising CA candidate to be developed for MRI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Tullio
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia Salvioni
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Michela Bellini
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Degrassi
- Preclinical
Development, Efficacy and Safety, Accelera
S.R.L.—NMS Group S.p.A., viale Pasteur 10, 20014 Nerviano, MI, Italy
| | - Luisa Fiandra
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Massimiliano D’Arienzo
- Department
of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Roberto Cozzi 55, 20125 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefania Garbujo
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Rany Rotem
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Filippo Testa
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Prosperi
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Miriam Colombo
- NanoBioLab,
Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yin S, Liu Y, Dai S, Zhang B, Qu Y, Zhang Y, Choe WS, Bi J. Mechanism Study of Thermally Induced Anti-Tumor Drug Loading to Engineered Human Heavy-Chain Ferritin Nanocages Aided by Computational Analysis. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:bios11110444. [PMID: 34821660 PMCID: PMC8615661 DOI: 10.3390/bios11110444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Diverse drug loading approaches for human heavy-chain ferritin (HFn), a promising drug nanocarrier, have been established. However, anti-tumor drug loading ratio and protein carrier recovery yield are bottlenecks for future clinical application. Mechanisms behind drug loading have not been elaborated. In this work, a thermally induced drug loading approach was introduced to load anti-tumor drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) into HFn, and 2 functionalized HFns, HFn-PAS-RGDK, and HFn-PAS. Optimal conditions were obtained through orthogonal tests. All 3 HFn-based proteins achieved high protein recovery yield and drug loading ratio. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed the majority of DOX loaded protein (protein/DOX) remained its nanocage conformation. Computational analysis, molecular docking followed by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, revealed mechanisms of DOX loading and formation of by-product by investigating non-covalent interactions between DOX with HFn subunit and possible binding modes of DOX and HFn after drug loading. In in vitro tests, DOX in protein/DOX entered tumor cell nucleus and inhibited tumor cell growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Yin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (S.Y.); (B.Z.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Yongdong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemistry Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Sheng Dai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brunel University London, London UB8 3PH, UK;
| | - Bingyang Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (S.Y.); (B.Z.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Yiran Qu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (S.Y.); (B.Z.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Yao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemistry Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Woo-Seok Choe
- School of Chemical Engineering), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea;
| | - Jingxiu Bi
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (S.Y.); (B.Z.); (Y.Q.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Sun X, Hong Y, Gong Y, Zheng S, Xie D. Bioengineered Ferritin Nanocarriers for Cancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7023. [PMID: 34209892 PMCID: PMC8268655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferritin naturally exists in most organisms and can specifically recognize the transferrin 1 receptor (TfR1), which is generally highly expressed on various types of tumor cells. The pH dependent reversible assembling and disassembling property of ferritin renders it as a suitable candidate for encapsulating a variety of anticancer drugs and imaging probes. Ferritins external surface is chemically and genetically modifiable which can serve as attachment site for tumor specific targeting peptides or moieties. Moreover, the biological origin of these protein cages makes it a biocompatible nanocarrier that stabilizes and protects the enclosed particles from the external environment without provoking any toxic or immunogenic responses. Recent studies, further establish ferritin as a multifunctional nanocarrier for targeted cancer chemotherapy and phototherapy. In this review, we introduce the favorable characteristics of ferritin drug carriers, the specific targeted surface modification and a multifunctional nanocarriers combined chemotherapy with phototherapy for tumor treatment. Taken together, ferritin is a potential ideal base of engineered nanoparticles for tumor therapy and still needs to explore more on its way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuanrong Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; (Y.H.); (Y.G.); (S.Z.); (D.X.)
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
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.
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhang Q, Zhang J, Song J, Liu Y, Ren X, Zhao Y. Protein-Based Nanomedicine for Therapeutic Benefits of Cancer. ACS NANO 2021; 15:8001-8038. [PMID: 33900074 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c00476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Proteins, a type of natural biopolymer that possess many prominent merits, have been widely utilized to engineer nanomedicine for fighting against cancer. Motivated by their ever-increasing attention in the scientific community, this review aims to provide a comprehensive showcase on the current landscape of protein-based nanomedicine for cancer therapy. On the basis of role differences of proteins in nanomedicine, protein-based nanomedicine engineered with protein therapeutics, protein carriers, enzymes, and composite proteins is introduced. The cancer therapeutic benefits of the protein-based nanomedicine are also discussed, including small-molecular therapeutics-mediated therapy, macromolecular therapeutics-mediated therapy, radiation-mediated therapy, reactive oxygen species-mediated therapy, and thermal effect-mediated therapy. Lastly, future developments and potential challenges of protein-based nanomedicine are elucidated toward clinical translation. It is believed that protein-based nanomedicine will play a vital role in the battle against cancer. We hope that this review will inspire extensive research interests from diverse disciplines to further push the developments of protein-based nanomedicine in the biomedical frontier, contributing to ever-greater medical advances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhong Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Molecular Science, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Junmin Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Molecular Science, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jun Song
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yizhen Liu
- International Joint Research Center for Molecular Science, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Xiangzhong Ren
- International Joint Research Center for Molecular Science, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Liang T, Xing Z, Jiang L, Zhu J. Tailoring nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery: From organ to subcellular level. VIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tingxizi Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing China
| | - Zejing Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing China
| | - Liping Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing China
| | - Jun‐Jie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Veroniaina H, Pan X, Wu Z, Qi X. Apoferritin: a potential nanocarrier for cancer imaging and drug delivery. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2021; 21:901-913. [PMID: 33844625 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2021.1910027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: As a protein-based biomaterial for potential cancer targeting delivery, apoferritin has recently attracted interest.Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the development of this cage-like protein as an endogenous nanocarrier that can hold molecules in its cavity. We present the specific characterizations and formulations of apoferritin nanocarriers, and outline the recent progress of the protein as an appropriate tumor-delivery vehicle in different therapeutic strategies to treat solid tumors. Finally, we propose how the application for cancer drug repurposing delivery within apoferritin could expand cancer treatment in the future.Expert opinion: Being a ubiquitous iron storage protein that exists in many living organisms, apoferritin is promising as a cancer tumor-targeting nanocarrier. By exploiting its versatility, apoferritin could be used for cancer repurposed drug delivery and could reduce the high cost of new drug discovery development and shorten the formulation process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiuhua Pan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenghong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaole Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Rizzuto MA, Dal Magro R, Barbieri L, Pandolfi L, Sguazzini-Viscontini A, Truffi M, Salvioni L, Corsi F, Colombo M, Re F, Prosperi D. H-Ferritin nanoparticle-mediated delivery of antibodies across a BBB in vitro model for treatment of brain malignancies. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:2032-2042. [PMID: 33544109 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01726d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Brain cancers are a group of neoplasms that can be either primary, such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), or metastatic, such as the HER2+ breast cancer brain metastasis. The brain represents a sanctuary for cancer cells thanks to the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB) that controls trafficking of molecules, protecting the brain from toxic substances including drugs. Considering that GBM and HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases are characterized by EGFR and HER2 over-expression respectively, CTX- and TZ-based treatment could be effective. Several studies show that these monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) exert both a cytostatic activity interfering with the transduction pathways of EGFR family and a cytotoxic activity mainly through the immune system activation via the antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Since the major limitation to therapeutic mAbs application is the presence of the BBB, here we use a recombinant form of human apoferritin (HFn) as a nanovector to promote the delivery of mAbs to the brain for the activation of the ADCC response. Using a transwell model of the BBB we proved the crossing ability of HFn-mAb. Cellular uptake of HFn-mAb by human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) was demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Moreover, after crossing the endothelial monolayer, HFn-conjugated mAbs retain their biological activity against targets, as assessed by MTS and ADCC assays. Our data support the use of HFn as efficient carrier to enhance the BBB crossing of mAbs, without affecting their antitumoral activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antonietta Rizzuto
- NanoBioLab, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rensi N, Sammarco A, Moccia V, Calore A, Torrigiani F, Prosperi D, Rizzuto MA, Bellini M, De Maria R, Bonsembiante F, Ferro S, Zanetti R, Zappulli V, Cavicchioli L. Evaluation of TFR-1 Expression in Feline Mammary Cancer and In Vitro Antitumor Efficacy Study of Doxorubicin-Loaded H-Ferritin Nanocages. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061248. [PMID: 33809013 PMCID: PMC8000254 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061248] [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: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transferrin receptor one (TFR-1), recognized by ferritin, is overexpressed in many tumor cells. This feature has been exploited to produce a selective overload of drugs within tumor cells by creating an engineered ferritin nanocage loaded with doxorubicin (HFn(DOX)). This bionanotechnology has been tested in human cancer, but there are no studies in veterinary oncology. This work, after evaluating the expression of TFR-1 in feline tumors, demonstrated for the first time the effectiveness in vitro of this nanocage in animals. These results confirm that engineered bionanocages also offer unprecedented opportunities for animal cancer to be applied in veterinary medicine and in comparative studies including spontaneous animal models of cancer. Abstract The transferrin receptor 1 (TFR-1) has been found overexpressed in a broad range of solid tumors in humans and is, therefore, attracting great interest in clinical oncology for innovative targeted therapies, including nanomedicine. TFR-1 is recognized by H-Ferritin (HFn) and has been exploited to allow selective binding and drug internalization, applying an HFn nanocage loaded with doxorubicin (HFn(DOX)). In veterinary medicine, the role of TFR-1 in animal cancers remains poorly explored, and no attempts to use TFR-1 as a target for drug delivery have been conducted so far. In this study, we determined the TFR-1 expression both in feline mammary carcinomas during tumor progression, as compared to healthy tissue, and, in vitro, in a feline metastatic mammary cancer cell line. The efficacy of HFn(DOX) was compared to treatment with conventional doxorubicin in feline mammary cancer cells. Our results highlighted an increased TFR-1 expression associated with tumor metastatic progression, indicating a more aggressive behavior. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the use of HFn(DOX) resulted in less proliferation of cells and increased apoptosis when compared to the drug alone. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the use of engineered bionanocages also offers unprecedented opportunities for selective targeted chemotherapy of solid tumors in veterinary medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Rensi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alessandro Sammarco
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
- Department of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Valentina Moccia
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Alessandro Calore
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Filippo Torrigiani
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Davide Prosperi
- NanoBiolab, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (D.P.); (M.A.R.); (M.B.)
| | - Maria Antonietta Rizzuto
- NanoBiolab, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (D.P.); (M.A.R.); (M.B.)
| | - Michela Bellini
- NanoBiolab, Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (D.P.); (M.A.R.); (M.B.)
| | - Raffaella De Maria
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, 10095 Turin, Italy;
| | - Federico Bonsembiante
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
- Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy
| | - Silvia Ferro
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Rossella Zanetti
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Valentina Zappulli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| | - Laura Cavicchioli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, 35020 Padua, Italy; (A.S.); (V.M.); (A.C.); (F.T.); (F.B.); (S.F.); (R.Z.); (V.Z.); (L.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Je H, Nam GH, Kim GB, Kim W, Kim SR, Kim IS, Lee EJ. Overcoming therapeutic efficiency limitations against TRAIL-resistant tumors using re-sensitizing agent-loaded trimeric TRAIL-presenting nanocages. J Control Release 2021; 331:7-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
38
|
Budiarta M, Xu W, Schubert L, Meledina M, Meledin A, Wöll D, Pich A, Beck T. Protecting redesigned supercharged ferritin containers against protease by integration into acid-cleavable polyelectrolyte microgels. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 591:451-462. [PMID: 33631532 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.01.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The application of ferritin containers as a promising drug delivery vehicle is limited by their low bioavailability in blood circulation due to unfavorable environments, such as degradation by protease. The integration of ferritin containers into the polymeric network of microgels through electrostatic interactions is expected to be able to protect ferritin against degradation by protease. Furthermore, a stimuli-responsive microgel system can be designed by employing an acid-degradable crosslinker during the microgel synthesis. This should enable ferritin release in an acidic environment, which will be useful for future drug delivery applications. EXPERIMENTS Nanoparticle/fluorophores-loaded ferritin was integrated into microgels during precipitation polymerization. The integration was monitored by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)2 and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. After studying ferritin release in acidic solutions, we investigated the stability of ferritin inside microgels against degradation by chymotrypsin. FINDINGS About 80% of the applied ferritin containers were integrated into microgels and around 85% and 50% of them could be released in buffer pH 2.5 and 4.0, respectively. Total degradation of the microgels was not achieved due to the self-crosslinking of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). Finally, we prove that microgels could protect ferritin against degradation by chymotrypsin at 37 °C.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Made Budiarta
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Landoltweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Wenjing Xu
- DWI- Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e.V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Technical and Molecular Chemistry, Woringer Weg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Lukas Schubert
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Landoltweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Maria Meledina
- RWTH Aachen University, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ahornstraße 55, Aachen 52074, Germany.
| | - Alexander Meledin
- RWTH Aachen University, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ahornstraße 55, Aachen 52074, Germany.
| | - Dominik Wöll
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Landoltweg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Andrij Pich
- DWI- Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e.V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Technical and Molecular Chemistry, Woringer Weg 2, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Maastricht University, Aachen Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD, Geleen, the Netherlands.
| | - Tobias Beck
- Universität Hamburg, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Tetralysine modified H-chain apoferritin mediated nucleus delivery of chemotherapy drugs synchronized with passive diffusion. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2020.102132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
40
|
Inoue I, Chiba M, Ito K, Okamatsu Y, Suga Y, Kitahara Y, Nakahara Y, Endo Y, Takahashi K, Tagami U, Okamoto N. One-step construction of ferritin encapsulation drugs for cancer chemotherapy. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:1875-1883. [PMID: 33439183 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr04019c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conventionally, a disassembly and reassembly method has been used for encapsulation of drug molecules in ferritin protein nano-cages. However, clinical applications of ferritin have been greatly restricted by its limited drug-loading capacity and process complexity. Here, we establish a simple high yield process for preparing high drug-loaded ferritin nanomedicine for industrial production. A complex of ferritin and a target drug was obtained by incubating the mixture at an appropriate pH. An electrostatic charge potential and small ferritin cavity facilitates the passage of drug molecules through the pores, traversing the ferritin shell and enabling deposition of the drug in the ferritin cavity. Compared to the disassembly/reassembly method, the loading capacity of a doxorubicin-loaded ferritin heavy chain (DOX-FTH), constructed by our novel method, was over 3-fold higher, while doxorubicin recovery was 10-fold higher. Results of transmission electron microscopy, size exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential indicate that DOX-FTH exhibits the same physicochemical characteristics of natural apo-ferritin. Moreover, DOX-FTH can be taken up and induce apoptosis of cancer cells overexpressing TfR1. Here, we have demonstrated the successful introduction of more than ten drug molecule types into ferritin nano-cages using a novel method. These results demonstrate that this one-step method is a powerful production process to construct a drug-loading ferritin drug delivery system carrier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ippei Inoue
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Malavia N, Kuche K, Ghadi R, Jain S. A bird's eye view of the advanced approaches and strategies for overshadowing triple negative breast cancer. J Control Release 2020; 330:72-100. [PMID: 33321156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive form of breast cancer. It is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors. The main issue with TNBC is that it exhibits poor prognosis, high risk of relapse, short progression-free survival and low overall survival in patients. This is because the conventional therapy used for managing TNBC has issues pertaining to poor bioavailability, lower cellular uptake, increased off-target effects and development of resistance. To overcome such pitfalls, several other approaches are explored. In this context, the present manuscript showcases three of the most widely used approaches which are (i) nanotechnology-based approach; (ii) gene therapy approach and (iii) Phytochemical-based approach. The ultimate focus is to present and explain the insightful reports based on these approaches. Further, the review also expounds on the identified molecular targets and novel targeting ligands which are explored for managing TNBC effectively. Thus, in a nutshell, the review tries to highlight these existing treatment approaches which might inspire for future development of novel therapies with a potential of overshadowing TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nilesh Malavia
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Kaushik Kuche
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Rohan Ghadi
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sanyog Jain
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Singh B, Yang S, Krishna A, Sridhar S. Nanoparticle Formulations of Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy. Front Chem 2020; 8:594619. [PMID: 33330383 PMCID: PMC7719718 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.594619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have been recently approved for clinical use in BRCA mutated and other cancers. However, off-target toxicity of PARP inhibitors and the emergence of drug resistance following prolonged administration of these inhibitors indicate the need for improved methods of drug delivery to the tumors. Nanomedicines based upon nanoparticle formulations of conventional small molecule drugs and inhibitors offer many advantages, such as increased solubility and bioavailability of drugs, reduced toxicity and drug resistance, and improved tissue selectivity and therapeutic efficacy. This review highlights the current trends in formulations of PARP inhibitors developed by nanotechnology approaches and provides an insight into the applications and limitations of these PARP inhibitor nanomedicines for cancer therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bijay Singh
- Nanomedicine Innovation Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shicheng Yang
- Nanomedicine Innovation Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Apurva Krishna
- Nanomedicine Innovation Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Srinivas Sridhar
- Nanomedicine Innovation Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Bellini M, Riva B, Tinelli V, Rizzuto MA, Salvioni L, Colombo M, Mingozzi F, Visioli A, Marongiu L, Frascotti G, Christodoulou MS, Passarella D, Prosperi D, Fiandra L. Engineered Ferritin Nanoparticles for the Bioluminescence Tracking of Nanodrug Delivery in Cancer. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2001450. [PMID: 32856404 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202001450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The identification of a highly sensitive method to check the delivery of administered nanodrugs into the tumor cells is a crucial step of preclinical studies aimed to develop new nanoformulated cures, since it allows the real therapeutic potential of these devices to be forecast. In the present work, the ability of an H-ferritin (HFn) nanocage, already investigated as a powerful tool for cancer therapy thanks to its ability to actively interact with the transferrin receptor 1, to act as an efficient probe for the monitoring of nanodrug delivery to tumors is demonstrated. The final formulation is a bioluminescent nanoparticle, where the luciferin probe is conjugated on nanoparticle surface by means of a disulfide containing linker (Luc-linker@HFn) which is subjected to glutathione-induced cyclization in tumor cell cytoplasm. The prolonged imaging of luciferase+ tumor models, demonstrated by an in vitro and an in vivo approach, associated with the prolonged release of luciferin into cancer cells by disulfide bridge reduction, clearly indicates the high efficiency of Luc-linker@HFn for drug delivery to the tumor tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michela Bellini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Benedetta Riva
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Veronica Tinelli
- Nanomedicine laboratory, ICS Maugeri S.p.A. SB, via S. Maugeri 10, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Rizzuto
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Lucia Salvioni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Miriam Colombo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Francesca Mingozzi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Alberto Visioli
- STEMGEN Spa, c/o Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Laura Marongiu
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | - Gianni Frascotti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
| | | | - Daniele Passarella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, via Golgi 19, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Davide Prosperi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 2, Milan, 20126, Italy
- Nanomedicine laboratory, ICS Maugeri S.p.A. SB, via S. Maugeri 10, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Luisa Fiandra
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, Milan, 20126, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Lieser RM, Yur D, Sullivan MO, Chen W. Site-Specific Bioconjugation Approaches for Enhanced Delivery of Protein Therapeutics and Protein Drug Carriers. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:2272-2282. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Lieser
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States of America
| | - Daniel Yur
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States of America
| | - Millicent O. Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States of America
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
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]
|
47
|
Andreata F, Bonizzi A, Sevieri M, Truffi M, Monieri M, Sitia L, Silva F, Sorrentino L, Allevi R, Zerbi P, Marchini B, Longhi E, Ottria R, Casati S, Vanna R, Morasso C, Bellini M, Prosperi D, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Co-administration of H-ferritin-doxorubicin and Trastuzumab in neoadjuvant setting improves efficacy and prevents cardiotoxicity in HER2 + murine breast cancer model. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11425. [PMID: 32651443 PMCID: PMC7351752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68205-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been established as the standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer since it allows cancer down-staging, up to pathological complete response. The standard of care in the neoadjuvant setting for HER2-positive breast cancer is a combination of highly cytotoxic drugs such as anthracyclines and the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody. Despite this cocktail allows a pathological complete response in up to 50%, their co-administration is strongly limited by intrinsic cardiotoxicity. Therefore, only a sequential administration of anthracyclines and the anti-HER2 treatment is allowed. Here, we propose the anthracycline formulation in H-Ferritin nanocages as promising candidate to solve this unmet clinical need, thanks to its capability to increase anthracyclines efficacy while reducing their cardiotoxicity. Treating a murine model of HER2-positive breast cancer with co-administration of Trastuzumab and H-Ferritin anthracycline nanoformulation, we demonstrate an improved tumor penetration of drugs, leading to increased anticancer efficacy and reduced of cardiotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Andreata
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - A Bonizzi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Sevieri
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Truffi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Monieri
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - L Sitia
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - F Silva
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - L Sorrentino
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Breast Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - R Allevi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - P Zerbi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - B Marchini
- Pathology Unit, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - E Longhi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - R Ottria
- Medical Chemistry, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - S Casati
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Sezione Di Tossicologia Forense, Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - R Vanna
- Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - C Morasso
- Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Bellini
- NanoBioLab, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Università Di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - D Prosperi
- NanoBioLab, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Università Di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - F Corsi
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy.
- Breast Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
- Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
| | - S Mazzucchelli
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università Di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Sitia L, Sevieri M, Bonizzi A, Allevi R, Morasso C, Foschi D, Corsi F, Mazzucchelli S. Development of Tumor-Targeted Indocyanine Green-Loaded Ferritin Nanoparticles for Intraoperative Detection of Cancers. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:12035-12045. [PMID: 32548382 PMCID: PMC7271044 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Indocyanine green (ICG) is a fluorescent dye with a strong emission in the near-infrared spectral range that allows deep signal penetration and minimal interference of tissue autofluorescence. It has been employed in clinics for different applications, among which the more interesting is certainly near-infrared fluorescence image-guided surgery. This technique has found wide application in surgical oncology for lymph node mapping or for laparoscopic surgery. Despite ICG being useful for tracking loco-regional lymph nodes, it does not provide any information about cancer involvement of such lymph nodes or lymphatic vessels, lacking any tumor-targeting specificity. However, the clinical need in surgical oncology is not only a specific tracking of metastatic nodes but also the intraoperative detection of micrometastatic deposits. Here, we have exploited a nanotechnological solution to improve ICG usefulness by its encapsulation in H-ferritin (HFn) nanocages. They are natural protein-based nanoparticles that exhibit some very interesting features as delivery systems in oncological applications because they display specific tumor homing. We show that HFn loaded with ICG exhibits specific uptake into different cancer cell lines and is able to deliver ICG to the tumor more efficiently than the free dye in an in vivo model of TNBC. Our results pave the way for the application of ICG-loaded HFn in fluorescence image-guided surgery of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Sitia
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Sevieri
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Bonizzi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Allevi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Morasso
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, via S. Maugeri, 10, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy
| | - Diego Foschi
- General
Surgery Division, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi
74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Corsi
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
- Nanomedicine
and Molecular Imaging Lab, Istituti Clinici
Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, via S. Maugeri, 10, 27100 Pavia (PV), Italy
- Breast
Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri
IRCCS, via S. Maugeri,
10, 27100 Pavia
(PV), Italy
| | - Serena Mazzucchelli
- Nanomedicine
Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “Luigi
Sacco”, Università degli Studi
di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Zhang N, Mei K, Guan P, Hu X, Zhao Y. Protein-Based Artificial Nanosystems in Cancer Therapy. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1907256. [PMID: 32378796 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201907256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Proteins, like actors, play different roles in specific applications. In the past decade, significant achievements have been made in protein-engineered biomedicine for cancer therapy. Certain proteins such as human serum albumin, working as carriers for drug/photosensitizer delivery, have entered clinical use due to their long half-life, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and inherent nonimmunogenicity. Proteins with catalytic abilities are promising as adjuvant agents for other therapeutic modalities or as anticancer drugs themselves. These catalytic proteins are usually defined as enzymes with high biological activity and substrate specificity. However, clinical applications of these kinds of proteins remain rare due to protease-induced denaturation and weak cellular permeability. Based on the characteristics of different proteins, tailor-made protein-based nanosystems could make up for their individual deficiencies. Therefore, elaborately designed protein-based nanosystems, where proteins serve as drug carriers, adjuvant agents, or therapeutic drugs to make full use of their intrinsic advantages in cancer therapy, are reviewed. Up-to-date progress on research in the field of protein-based nanomedicine is provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Kun Mei
- School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Ping Guan
- School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoling Hu
- School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Berckman EA, Hartzell EJ, Mitkas AA, Sun Q, Chen W. Biological Assembly of Modular Protein Building Blocks as Sensing, Delivery, and Therapeutic Agents. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2020; 11:35-62. [PMID: 32155350 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101519-121526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nature has evolved a wide range of strategies to create self-assembled protein nanostructures with structurally defined architectures that serve a myriad of highly specialized biological functions. With the advent of biological tools for site-specific protein modifications and de novo protein design, a wide range of customized protein nanocarriers have been created using both natural and synthetic biological building blocks to mimic these native designs for targeted biomedical applications. In this review, different design frameworks and synthetic decoration strategies for achieving these functional protein nanostructures are summarized. Key attributes of these designer protein nanostructures, their unique functions, and their impact on biosensing and therapeutic applications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Berckman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA; .,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Emily J Hartzell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA;
| | - Alexander A Mitkas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA;
| | - Qing Sun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA;
| |
Collapse
|