Virus-based nanocarriers for drug delivery

Yujie Ma; Roeland J M Nolte; Jeroen J L M Cornelissen

doi:10.1016/j.addr.2012.01.005

Virus-based nanocarriers for drug delivery

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2012 Jun 15;64(9):811-25. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2012.01.005. Epub 2012 Jan 20.

Authors

Yujie Ma¹, Roeland J M Nolte, Jeroen J L M Cornelissen

Affiliation

¹ Group of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA(+) Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.

PMID: 22285585
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2012.01.005

Abstract

New nanocarrier platforms based on natural biological building blocks offer great promises in revolutionalizing medicine. The usage of specific protein cage structures: virus-like particles (VLPs) for drug packaging and targetted delivery is summarized here. Versatile chemical and genetic modifications on the outer surfaces and inner cavities of VLPs facilitate the preparation of new materials that could meet the biocompatibility, solubility and high uptake efficiency requirements for drug delivery. A full evaluation on the toxicity, bio-distribution and immunology of these materials are envisaged to boost their application potentials.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Drug Carriers / chemistry*
Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
Drug Packaging / methods
Humans
Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Viruses / chemistry*
Viruses / metabolism

Substances

Drug Carriers