Tunable Conformation-Dependent Engineered Protein·Gold Nanoparticle Nanocomposites

Self-assembled phospholipid-based mixed micelles for improving the solubility, bioavailability and anticancer activity of lenvatinib

The clinical efficacy of lenvatinib (LFT) is limited by its poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. In this work, LFT-loaded soy phospholipid and sodium glycocholate mixed micelles (LFT-MMs) were prepared through classical co-precipitation. And it was served as an oral administration to address these shortcomings. The preparation conditions were optimized by single-factor experiments. The mass ratio of PC, SGC and LFT, and the species of dispersing media were proved to be decisive factors in controlling the properties of LFT-MMs. The optimal LFT-MMs presented prominent enhancement (500-fold) in LFT solubility, high encapsulation efficiency (87.6 %) as well as suitable stability (>1 month at 4 °C). The biocompatibility of LFT-MMs was estimated by in vitro serum stability measurement and hemolysis test. It showed that serum proteins hardly adhered to the surface of LFT-MMs, and insignificant hemolytic rate (<0.5 %) was observed at the micelles concentration below 1 mg/mL. Cytotoxicity test (MTT assay) was carried out to judge the in vitro antitumor activity. LFT-MMs showed an enhanced inhibitory activity against two main kinds of differentiated thyroid cancer cells over LFT and LFT Mesylate. To estimate the in vivo oral bioavailability of LFT-MMs, SD rats were used as animal model. Notably, the relative bioavailability of LFT-MMs compared with the original form of LFT was 176.7 %. These superior characteristics indicated that the mixed micelles are promising water-soluble formulations suitable for LFT oral delivery.

Protein-Engineered Functional Materials

Proteins are versatile macromolecules that can perform a variety of functions. In the past three decades, they have been commonly used as building blocks to generate a range of biomaterials. Owing to their flexibility, proteins can either be used alone or in combination with other functional molecules. Advances in synthetic and chemical biology have enabled new protein fusions as well as the integration of new functional groups leading to biomaterials with emergent properties. This review discusses protein-engineered materials from the perspectives of domain-based designs as well as physical and chemical approaches for crosslinked materials, with special emphasis on the creation of hydrogels. Engineered proteins that organize or template metal ions, bear noncanonical amino acids (NCAAs), and their potential applications, are also reviewed.

Engineered Coiled-Coil Protein for Delivery of Inverse Agonist for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) results from degenerative and abnormal function of joints, with localized biochemistry playing a critical role in its onset and progression. As high levels of all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in synovial fluid have been identified as a contributive factor to OA, the synthesis of de novo antagonists for retinoic acid receptors (RARs) has been exploited to interrupt the mechanism of ATRA action. BMS493, a pan-RAR inverse agonist, has been reported as an effective inhibitor of ATRA signaling pathway; however, it is unstable and rapidly degrades under physiological conditions. We employed an engineered cartilage oligomeric matrix protein coiled-coil (C_cc^S) protein for the encapsulation, protection, and delivery of BMS493. In this study, we determine the binding affinity of C_cc^S to BMS493 and the stimulator, ATRA, via competitive binding assay, in which ATRA exhibits approximately 5-fold superior association with C_cc^S than BMS493. Interrogation of the structure of C_cc^S indicates that ATRA causes about 10% loss in helicity, while BMS493 did not impact the structure. Furthermore, C_cc^S self-assembles into nanofibers when bound to BMS493 or ATRA as expected, displaying 11-15 nm in diameter. Treatment of human articular chondrocytes in vitro reveals that C_cc^S·BMS493 demonstrates a marked improvement in efficacy in reducing the mRNA levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), one of the main proteases responsible for the degradation of the extracellular cartilage matrix compared to BMS493 alone in the presence of ATRA, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), or IL-1 β together with ATRA. These results support the feasibility of utilizing coiled-coil proteins as drug delivery vehicles for compounds of relatively limited bioavailability for the potential treatment of OA.

Design and Characterization of Fibers and Bionanocomposites Using the Coiled-Coil Domain of Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein

Tremendous effort has been dedicated to the design and assembly of bioinspired protein-based architectures with potential applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensing, and bioimaging. Here, we describe our strategy to generate fibers and bionanocomposites using the coiled-coil domain of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMPcc). Our construct, Q, engineered by swapping particular regions of COMPcc to optimize surface charge, self-assembles to form nanofibers. The Q protein nanofibers can efficiently bind curcumin to form robust mesofibers that can be potentially used for drug delivery and biomedical applications. In addition, using the same Q protein, we describe the biotemplation of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) in the presence and absence of the hexahistidine tag (His-tag). The Q bearing His-tag·AuNP (Q·AuNP) readily deposits on electrode surfaces, while Q without His-tag·AuNP (Qx·AuNP) stabilizes the soluble protein·gold bionanocomposites for several days without aggregating.

Efficient Dual siRNA and Drug Delivery Using Engineered Lipoproteoplexes

An engineered supercharged coiled-coil protein (CSP) and the cationic transfection reagent Lipofectamine 2000 are combined to form a lipoproteoplex for the purpose of dual delivery of siRNA and doxorubicin. CSP, bearing an external positive charge and axial hydrophobic pore, demonstrates the ability to condense siRNA and encapsulate the small-molecule chemotherapeutic, doxorubicin. The lipoproteoplex demonstrates improved doxorubicin loading relative to Lipofectamine 2000. Furthermore, it induces effective transfection of GAPDH (60% knockdown) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells with efficiencies comparing favorably to Lipofectamine 2000. When the lipoproteoplex is loaded with doxorubicin, the improved doxorubicin loading (∼40 μg Dox/mg CSP) results in a substantial decrease in MCF-7 cell viability.

Biomaterials Made from Coiled-Coil Peptides

The development of biomaterials designed for specific applications is an important objective in personalized medicine. While the breadth and prominence of biomaterials have increased exponentially over the past decades, critical challenges remain to be addressed, particularly in the development of biomaterials that exhibit highly specific functions. These functional properties are often encoded within the molecular structure of the component molecules. Proteins, as a consequence of their structural specificity, represent useful substrates for the construction of functional biomaterials through rational design. This chapter provides an in-depth survey of biomaterials constructed from coiled-coils, one of the best-understood protein structural motifs. We discuss the utility of this structurally diverse and functionally tunable class of proteins for the creation of novel biomaterials. This discussion illustrates the progress that has been made in the development of coiled-coil biomaterials by showcasing studies that bridge the gap between the academic science and potential technological impact.