Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release
Drug-delivery vehicles have been used extensively to modulate the biodistribution of drugs for the purpose of maximizing their therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic toxicity. The release characteristics of the vehicle must be balanced with its encapsulation properties to achieve optimal deli...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/9/1407 |
| _version_ | 1797517597712842752 |
|---|---|
| author | Courtney van Ballegooie Alice Man Alessia Pallaoro Marcel Bally Byron D. Gates Donald T. Yapp |
| author_facet | Courtney van Ballegooie Alice Man Alessia Pallaoro Marcel Bally Byron D. Gates Donald T. Yapp |
| author_sort | Courtney van Ballegooie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drug-delivery vehicles have been used extensively to modulate the biodistribution of drugs for the purpose of maximizing their therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic toxicity. The release characteristics of the vehicle must be balanced with its encapsulation properties to achieve optimal delivery of the drug. An alternative approach is to design a delivery vehicle that preferentially releases its contents under specific endogenous (e.g., tissue pH) or exogenous (e.g., applied temperature) stimuli. In the present manuscript, we report on a novel delivery system with potential for triggered release using external beam radiation. Our group evaluated Zein protein as the basis for the delivery vehicle and used radiation as the exogenous stimulus. Proteins are known to react with free radicals, produced during irradiation in aqueous suspensions, leading to aggregation, fragmentation, amino acid modification, and proteolytic susceptibility. Additionally, we incorporated gold particles into the Zein protein matrix to create hybrid Zein–gold nanoparticles (ZAuNPs). Zein-only nanoparticles (ZNPs) and ZAuNPs were subsequently exposed to kVp radiation (single dose ranging from 2 to 80 Gy; fractionated doses of 2 Gy delivered 10 times) and characterized before and after irradiation. Our data indicated that the presence of gold particles within Zein particles was correlated with significantly higher levels of alterations to the protein, and was associated with higher rates of release of the encapsulated drug compound, Irinotecan. The aggregate results demonstrated a proof-of-principle that radiation can be used with gold nanoparticles to modulate the release rates of protein-based drug-delivery vehicles, such as ZNPs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:18:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9e834fbc602454c8946ef3b7aff713a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:18:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9e834fbc602454c8946ef3b7aff713a2023-11-22T14:47:14ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232021-09-01139140710.3390/pharmaceutics13091407Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered ReleaseCourtney van Ballegooie0Alice Man1Alessia Pallaoro2Marcel Bally3Byron D. Gates4Donald T. Yapp5Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, CanadaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, CanadaExperimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, CanadaExperimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, CanadaDepartment of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 0A7, CanadaExperimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, CanadaDrug-delivery vehicles have been used extensively to modulate the biodistribution of drugs for the purpose of maximizing their therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic toxicity. The release characteristics of the vehicle must be balanced with its encapsulation properties to achieve optimal delivery of the drug. An alternative approach is to design a delivery vehicle that preferentially releases its contents under specific endogenous (e.g., tissue pH) or exogenous (e.g., applied temperature) stimuli. In the present manuscript, we report on a novel delivery system with potential for triggered release using external beam radiation. Our group evaluated Zein protein as the basis for the delivery vehicle and used radiation as the exogenous stimulus. Proteins are known to react with free radicals, produced during irradiation in aqueous suspensions, leading to aggregation, fragmentation, amino acid modification, and proteolytic susceptibility. Additionally, we incorporated gold particles into the Zein protein matrix to create hybrid Zein–gold nanoparticles (ZAuNPs). Zein-only nanoparticles (ZNPs) and ZAuNPs were subsequently exposed to kVp radiation (single dose ranging from 2 to 80 Gy; fractionated doses of 2 Gy delivered 10 times) and characterized before and after irradiation. Our data indicated that the presence of gold particles within Zein particles was correlated with significantly higher levels of alterations to the protein, and was associated with higher rates of release of the encapsulated drug compound, Irinotecan. The aggregate results demonstrated a proof-of-principle that radiation can be used with gold nanoparticles to modulate the release rates of protein-based drug-delivery vehicles, such as ZNPs.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/9/1407nanomedicinechemo-radiotherapyZein nanoparticlesmicrofluidics |
| spellingShingle | Courtney van Ballegooie Alice Man Alessia Pallaoro Marcel Bally Byron D. Gates Donald T. Yapp Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release Pharmaceutics nanomedicine chemo-radiotherapy Zein nanoparticles microfluidics |
| title | Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release |
| title_full | Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release |
| title_fullStr | Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release |
| title_short | Gold–Protein Composite Nanoparticles for Enhanced X-ray Interactions: A Potential Formulation for Triggered Release |
| title_sort | gold protein composite nanoparticles for enhanced x ray interactions a potential formulation for triggered release |
| topic | nanomedicine chemo-radiotherapy Zein nanoparticles microfluidics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/9/1407 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT courtneyvanballegooie goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease AT aliceman goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease AT alessiapallaoro goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease AT marcelbally goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease AT byrondgates goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease AT donaldtyapp goldproteincompositenanoparticlesforenhancedxrayinteractionsapotentialformulationfortriggeredrelease |