Bacteriophage MS2 As a Tool for Targeted Delivery in Solid Tumor Chemotherapy

Abstract

Bacteriophage MS2 was employed for targeted delivery of an apoptosis-inducing agent, Tl+, into a tumor tissue. The targeted delivery was ensured by iRGD peptide, a ligand of integrins presumably located on the surface of endotheliocytes of the tumor tissue neovasculature and certain tumor cells. The synthesized peptide was conjugated to MS2 capsid proteins. Tl+ ions from TlNO3 penetrated the phage particles and tightly bound to phage RNA. Peptide-modified MS2 preparations filled with Tl+ caused cell death in two types of cultivated human breast cancer cells and effected necrosis of these tumor xenografts in mice. Neither peptide-conjugated bacteriophage MS2 without Tl+ nor the phage filled with Tl+ but without the peptide or the same phage with the non-conjugated peptide in solution produced such effects. The preparation exhibited no acute toxicity at a therapeutic dose.

A Computational Reverse Vaccinology Approach for the Design and Development of Multi-Epitopic Vaccine Against Avian Pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum

“…For that reason, a multi-epitope-based peptide vaccine can be designed with immunogenic proteins of a pathogen. In the present scenario, a large number of peptide vaccines are in progress, majority of which are for human infectious diseases and tumor (55)(56)(57)(58). Very few studies are reported in the field of in silico vaccine for poultry and animals.…”

Bacteriophages M13 and T4 Increase the Expression of Anchorage-Dependent Survival Pathway Genes and Down Regulate Androgen Receptor Expression in LNCaP Prostate Cell Line

“…Phage-based therapies, as well as phage lytic-enzyme therapies, have been reported. The effects of phages on cancer cells in vitro as well as in vivo are promising [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Similarly, hybrid phages or modified phages have been developed by various groups worldwide to specifically detect, target, and attack different cancer cells including PCa [ 10 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Bacteriophages as Solid Tumor Theragnostic Agents

“…Cargo capacity: Phages are proven to carry wide variety of cargoes that ranges from small dyes to large DNA molecules. Phages have efficiently carried diverse payloads such as fluorescent dyes, photosensitizers, QDs, other small nanoparticles, protein drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs, siRNA, CRISPR-Cas, and large mammalian gene expression cassette [ 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 ]. Due to their natural evolution in carrying their own large genomes, phage vectors can be manipulated to encapsidate large genes/genes of interest by synthetic genetic engineering techniques; further, due to safety concerns related to mammalian viral vectors, the safe-to-human phage vectors are now being considered as suitable alternatives.…”