Protein Cages for Targeted Drug Delivery & Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)： 在接下来的20年里，医学领域将通过使用纳米技术来诊断、成像、治疗和预防疾病和障碍而发生变革。这些纳米技术的产生需要在生物、化学、物理和工程学的界面上进行基础研究。这项研究的长期目标是开发纳米尺度的蛋白质笼结构，用于靶向输送治疗化合物和显像剂。这项提议的总体目标是使用遗传和化学修饰来赋予选定的蛋白质笼生物医学功能。将使用两种蛋白质笼系统，直径28 nm的豌豆褪绿斑驳病毒衣壳缺失其核酸(CCMV)和直径12 nm的小热休克蛋白(MjHsp)。这些蛋白质笼将被用来包裹治疗药物(阿霉素)、显像剂(氧化铁)，并在其外表面呈现肿瘤靶向多肽。这些构建物将在细胞培养试验中进行测试，以确定其定向细胞靶向药物输送和成像的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the next twenty years, the medical field will be transformed by the use of nanotechnologies to diagnose, image, treat, and prevent diseases and disorders. The generation of these nanotechnologies requires basic research at the interfaces of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. The long-term objective of this research is to develop nanometer scale protein cage architectures for targeted delivery of therapeutic compounds and imaging agents. The overall goal of this proposal is to employ genetic and chemical modifications to impart biomedical functions to selected protein cages. Two protein cage systems will be utilized, the 28 nm diameter cowpea chlorotic mottle viral capsid devoid its nucleic acid (CCMV) and the 12 nm diameter small heat shock protein (MjHsp). These protein cages will be used to encapsulate therapeutics (doxorubicin), imaging agents (iron oxides) and present tumor-targeting peptides on their exterior surface. These constructs will be tested in cell culture assays for their ability to direct cell targeted drug delivery and imaging.