Doxorubicin loaded Nickel-complexed nitrilotriacetic acid-end-functionalized polycaprolactone based biocompatible polymer–protein hybrid nanocarriers were developed in a one-pot process.
Protein
nanocapsules are potentially useful as functional nanocarriers
because of their hollow structure and high biocompatibility and the
intrinsic activity of their protein constituents. However, the development
of a facile method for the preparation of oriented nanocapsules that
retain their protein activity has been challenging. Here we describe
the preparation of protein nanocapsules through the enzymatic removal
of polymer templates. Nickel(II) nitrilotriacetic acid-end-functionalized
poly(lactic acid) (Ni2+-NTA-PLA) was introduced as a polymeric
template to immobilize hexa-histidine-tagged green fluorescence protein
(His6-GFP) with consistent orientation. Following protein
cross-linking and core-degradation, various measurements as a function
of degradation time indicated the formation of hollow structures.
We also demonstrated orientational control and activity preservation
of the protein after capsule preparation. Protein nanocapsules prepared
by this method can act as functional containers, taking advantage
of the intrinsic function of their constituent proteins without additional
modification.
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