1 research outputs found
Self-Assembling VHH-Elastin-Like Peptides for Photodynamic Nanomedicine
Recombinant
llama heavy-chain antibody fragments (VHHs) are promising
tools in the field of targeted nanomedicine. 7D12, a VHH against the
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that is overexpressed in various
cancers, has been evaluated as an effective cancer-targeting VHH in
multiple studies. The small size of VHHs (15–20 kDa) results
in a low circulation half-life, which can be disadvantageous for certain
applications. A solution to this problem is to attach VHHs to the
surface of nanoparticles to increase the hydrodynamic radius of the
conjugate. This approach simultaneously allows the incorporation of
different VHHs and other targeting moieties and therapeutic components
into one structure, creating multispecificity and versatility for
therapy and diagnosis. Here, we present the construction of highly
defined 7D12-containing nanoparticles by utilizing thermoresponsive
diblock elastin-like peptides that reversibly self-assemble into micellar
structures. The resulting particles have a hydrodynamic radius of
24.3 ± 0.9 nm and retain full EGFR-binding capacity. We present
proof of concept of the usability of such particles by controlled
incorporation of a photosensitizer and show that the resulting nanoparticles
induce EGFR-specific light-induced cell killing. This approach is
easily extended to the controlled incorporation of various functional
modules, improving therapy and diagnosis with targeted nanomedicine