Protein‐Based Nanomedicine Platforms for Drug Delivery

Abstract

Protein-based nanomedicine platforms for drug delivery comprise naturally self-assembled protein subunits of the same protein or a combination of proteins making up a complete system. They are ideal for drug-delivery platforms due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability coupled with low toxicity. A variety of proteins have been used and characterized for drug-delivery systems, including the ferritin/apoferritin protein cage, plant-derived viral capsids, the small Heat shock protein (sHsp) cage, albumin, soy and whey protein, collagen, and gelatin. There are many different types and shapes that have been prepared to deliver drug molecules using protein-based platforms, including various protein cages, microspheres, nanoparticles, hydrogels, films, minirods, and minipellets. The protein cage is the most newly developed biomaterial for drug delivery and therapeutic applications. The uniform size, multifunctionality, and biodegradability push it to the frontier of drug delivery. In this Review, the recent strategic development of drug delivery is discussed with emphasis on polymer-based, especially protein-based, nanomedicine platforms for drug delivery. The advantages and disadvantages are also discussed for each type of protein-based drug-delivery system.

Cytocompatible cross-linking of electrospun zein fibers for the development of water-stable tissue engineering scaffolds

“…Moreover, proteins possess inherent complex structures which show tunable charges in different pH environments and also have hydrophobic sections capable of hydrophobic interactions. Thus, proteins show flexible adsorption to various substrates and, hence, the potential to serve as carriers of proteins, cells, drugs and growth factors [4,5]. Among the various types of biomaterials being developed, electrospun materials composed of ultra fine fibers are preferred for medical applications.…”

An Apoferritin‐based Drug Delivery System for the Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Gefitinib

“…[ 1,6 ] Human ferritin is an ideal drug delivery carrier due to the nanoscale structure, and biocompatible, biodegradable, stable, nontoxic properties. [ 2,7,8 ] Ferritin consists of an apoferritin (AFt) protein cage and an iron core, and prevents accumulation of toxic levels of free iron in cells. AFt is composed of 24 subunits arranged into a 12 nm diameter cage with an internal 8 nm cavity.…”

“…Among the 14 channels, eight are hydrophilic and six are hydrophobic. [ 6,7,9 ] Also, the AFt cage can disassemble into subunits at low pH (<pH 4.0) allowing release of cargo, and reassemble at higher pH (>pH 5.0). [ 5 ] Ferritin circulates and binds to a variety of cell types, however, specifi c binding to cells has been seen only for H-ferritins.…”

Apoferritin: protein nanocarrier for targeted delivery

“…The spherical cage in apoferritin can be used for the encapsulation of fluorescent dyes [77], drugs [78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85], magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents [86,87], genes [88] or other compounds [89]. Due to the self-assembly activity of apoferritin and its response to the surrounding environment, it has several advantages for use as a nanocarrier.…”