Protein micro- and nano-capsules for biomedical applications

Micro- and nano-scale systems have emerged as important tools for developing clinically useful drug delivery systems. In this tutorial review, we discuss the exploitation of biomacromolecules for this purpose, focusing on proteins, polypeptides, nucleic acids and polysaccharides and mixtures thereof...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical Society reviews 2014-01, Vol.43 (5), p.1361-1371
Main Authors: Shimanovich, Ulyana, Bernardes, Gonçalo J L, Knowles, T P J, Cavaco-Paulo, Artur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biocompatibility
Biomaterials
Drug Carriers - chemistry
Drug delivery systems
Nanocapsules - chemistry
Nanostructure
Nucleic acids
Particle Size
Protein Stability
Proteins
Proteins - chemistry
Proteins - metabolism
Strategy
Synthesis
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Summary:Micro- and nano-scale systems have emerged as important tools for developing clinically useful drug delivery systems. In this tutorial review, we discuss the exploitation of biomacromolecules for this purpose, focusing on proteins, polypeptides, nucleic acids and polysaccharides and mixtures thereof as potential building blocks for novel drug delivery systems. We focus on the mechanisms of formation of micro- and nano-scale protein-based capsules and shells, as well as on the functionalization of such structures for use in targeted delivery of bioactive materials. We summarise existing methods for protein-based capsule synthesis and functionalization and highlight future challenges and opportunities for delivery strategies based on biomacromolecules.
ISSN:0306-0012
1460-4744
DOI:10.1039/C3CS60376H