The image above illustrates how proteins (copper-colored coils) modified with polyhistidine-tags (green diamonds) can be attached to nanoparticles (red circle). Credit: Jonathan Lovell.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have developed a simple chemical approach to permanently attach proteins to nanoparticles, which could lead to the development of a new HIV vaccine. While nanoparticle-based delivery of proteins to areas of interest such as tumors is not uncommon, this method is a significant improvement from existing technology, due to the “velcro” chemistry that tightly binds the proteins to the nanoparticles. The research, recently published in the journal Nature Chemistry, involves the use of nanoparticles called liposomes (made from phospholipids, which make up the cell membrane) incorporated with chlorophyll (the pigment that makes leaves look green) and cobalt (a metal used in batteries and dental prosthetics).
The proteins are modified with a chain of amino acids, called a poyhistidine tag. When the proteins and nanoparticles are mixed in water, the chain tightly embeds into the outer layer of the nanoparticle, with the rest of the protein sticking out like tentacles (pictured). When this system was tested with a vaccine delivery agent (adjuvant) and a HIV peptide, it triggered a strong immune response against HIV. Considering how hard it is to find a vaccination for HIV, the potential for this research to turn into an actual therapy is quite tangible.
Study in Nature Chemistry: Functionalization of cobalt porphyrin–phospholipid bilayers with his-tagged ligands and antigens…
Source: University at Buffalo…