Summary
Published in Molecular Pharmaceutics (2015), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Deo, Vipin K., et al. Chimeric Virus-Like Particles Made Using GAG and M1 Capsid Proteins Providing Dual Drug Delivery and Vaccination Platform
Chimeric Virus-Like Particles Made Using GAG and M1 Capsid Proteins Providing Dual Drug Delivery and Vaccination Platform
Research Overview
Enveloped virus-like particles can serve double duty as vaccines and targeted drug carriers. This study expressed chimeric virus-like particles in silkworms using two capsid proteins — gag and influenza A M1 — displaying a GPI-anchored single-chain variable fragment that targets colon carcinoma cells. The resulting particles were smooth and averaged 21 nm in diameter.
Packaged into large unilamellar vesicles carrying calcein-AM or doxorubicin, the particles showed high specificity for cancer cells and successfully delivered both dye and drug. Injected into BALB/c mice, they raised serum specificity against the M1 protein, supporting the dual vaccination and delivery concept.
Key Discoveries
- Chimeric gag/M1 virus-like particles produced in silkworms, averaging 21 nm
- Displayed antibody fragment targeted colon carcinoma cells specifically
- Delivered both fluorescent dye and doxorubicin to target cells; raised M1-specific serum response in mice
