Four‐fold Channel‐Nicked Human Ferritin Nanocages for Active Drug Loading and pH‐Responsive Drug Release |
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| Authors: | Byungjun Ahn Seong‐Gyu Lee Hye Ryeon Yoon Dr Jeong Min Lee Hyeok Jin Oh Prof Ho Min Kim Prof Yongwon Jung |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea;2. Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea;3. Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea |
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| Abstract: | Human ferritins are emerging platforms for non‐toxic protein‐based drug delivery, owing to their intrinsic or acquirable targeting abilities to cancer cells and hollow cage structures for drug loading. However, reliable strategies for high‐level drug encapsulation within ferritin cavities and prompt cellular drug release are still lacking. Ferritin nanocages were developed with partially opened hydrophobic channels, which provide stable routes for spontaneous and highly accumulated loading of FeII‐conjugated drugs as well as pH‐responsive rapid drug release at endoplasmic pH. Multiple cancer‐related compounds, such as doxorubicin, curcumin, and quercetin, were actively and heavily loaded onto the prepared nicked ferritin. Drugs on these minimally modified ferritins were effectively delivered inside cancer cells with high toxicity. |
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| Keywords: | active drug loading drug delivery ferritin carriers pH-responsive drug release protein engineering |
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