Nano particles carry drugs to diseased cells
Researchers grow empty particles derived from a plant virus and make them carry useful chemicals.
Researchers have been able to grow empty particles derived from a plant virus and make them carry useful chemicals.
The external surface of these "nano containers" could be decorated with molecules that guide them to where they are needed in the body, before the chemical load is discharged to attack diseased cells. The containers are particles of the Cowpea mosaic virus, which is suitable for designing biomaterial at the nanoscale.
"This is a shot in the arm for all Cowpea mosaic virus technology," said George Lomonossoff of the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK, one of the authors of a paper to be published in Small.
Scientists have previously tried to empty virus particles of their genetic material using irradiation or chemical treatment. Though successful in rendering the particles non-infectious, these methods have not fully emptied the particles.
Researchers at the John Innes Centre have been able to assemble empty particles from precursors in plants and then extract them to insert useful chemicals. They have also previously managed to decorate the surface of virus particles with useful molecules.
"This brings a huge change to the whole technology and opens up new areas of research," added Lomonossoff. "We don"t really know all the potential applications yet because such particles have not been available before."
Cancer treatment is a potential application. The virus particles could be coated externally with peptides that bind to the integrins that appear on cancer cells. This would mean the particles seek out cancer cells to the exclusion of healthy cells. Once bound to the cancer cell, the virus particle would release an anti-cancer agent that has been carried as an internal cargo.
