Bioengineered protein-based nanocage for drug delivery

Publication date: Available online 17 March 2016
Source:Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
Author(s): Eun Jung Lee, Na Kyeong Lee, In-San Kim
Nature in its wonders presents and assembles the most intricate and delicate protein structures and this remarkable phenomenon occurs in all kingdom and phyla of life. Of these proteins, cage-like multimeric proteins provide spatial control to biological processes and also compartmentalizes compounds that may be toxic or unstable and avoids their contact with the environment. Protein-based nanocages are of particular interest because of their potential applicability as drug delivery carriers and their perfect and complex symmetry and ideal physical properties that stimulates researchers to engineer, modify or mimic these qualities. This article reviews various existing types of protein-based nanocages that are used for therapeutic purposes, and outlines their drug-loading mechanisms and bioengineering strategies via genetic and chemical functionalization. Through a critical evaluation of recent advances in protein nanocage-based drug delivery in vitro and in vivo, an outlook for de novo and in silico nanocage designing, and also protein-based nanocage preclinical and future clinical applications will be presented.

Graphical abstract

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