Dual-Expressing and Loading Protein Nanoparticles with Model Cargo for Therapeutic Cancer Treatment

• Sathvik Kanithi, Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware

• Wilfred Chen, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware

Modern drug-delivery efforts for cancer treatment face various challenges, such as successfully bringing drugs to specific cancer cells in the body, preventing the body from destroying the drugs before treatment is administered, and preventing the drugs from harming the body instead of the target cell. Microscopic nanocages offer a solution to these major issues, as certain protein nanoparticles have been discovered with capabilities in sequestering and transporting cargo to various locations. As the first step in improving upon conventional cargo loading methods for these nanocages, we sought to apply a dual-expression system on bacteria cells in vivo to simultaneously express and load capsules with protein cargo. Through a process of transformation, inoculation and induction, and isolating and analyzing soluble protein material, cargo was successfully expressed in tandem with and loaded onto capsules within E. coli cells. With this achievement, the first milestone in improving cargo loading of these capsules has been accomplished. Furthermore, this success has improved the efficacy of using encapsulins as drug-delivery capsules for therapeutic cancer treatment.