A Potential MRI Agent and an Anticancer Drug Encapsulated within CPMV Virus-Like Particles

Abstract

Background: Virus nanoparticles have been extensively studied over the past decades for theranostics applications. Viruses are well-characterized, naturally occurring nanoparticles that can be produced in high quantity with a high degree of similarity in both structure and composition.

Objectives: The plant virus Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV) has been innovatively used as a nanoscaffold. Utilization of the internal cavity of empty Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) for the inclusion of therapeutics within the capsid has opened many opportunities in drug delivery and imaging applications.

Methods: The encapsidation of magnetic materials and anticancer drugs was achieved. ^SuperscriptCPMV denotes molecules attached to the external surface of CPMV and CPMV_Subscript denotes molecules within the interior of the capsid.

Results: Here, the generation of novel VLPs incorporating iron-platinum nanoparticles _TCPMV_FePt and cisplatin (Cis) (_TCPMV_Cis) is reported. _TCPMV_Cis exhibited a cytotoxic IC₅₀ of _TCPMV_Cis on both A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines of 1.8 μM and 3.9 μM, respectively after 72 hours of incubation. The _TCPMV_FePt were prepared as potential MRI contrast agents.

Conclusion: Cisplatin loaded VLP (_TCPMV_Cis) is shown to enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines with its potency increased by 2.3-folds.

Keywords: Virus-like particles; bioconjugation; cisplatin; drug delivery; nanomedicine.; viruses.