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The aim of this study was to explore the inhibitory potential of apoferritin or apoferritin-capped metal nanoparticles (silver, gold and platinum) against Trypanosoma arginine kinase. The arginine kinase activity was determined in the presence and absence of apoferritin or apoferritin-capped metal nanoparticles. In addition, kinetic parameters and relative inhibition of enzyme activity were estimated. Apoferritin or apoferritin-capped metal nanoparticles' interaction with arginine kinase of brucei arginine kinase. The arginine kinase activity was determined in the presence and absence of apoferritin or apoferritin-capped metal nanoparticles. In addition, kinetic parameters and relative inhibition of enzyme activity were estimated. Apoferritin or apoferritin-capped metal nanoparticles' interaction with arginine kinase of T. brucei led to a >70% reduction in the enzyme activity. Further analysis to determine kinetic parameters suggests a mixed inhibition by apoferritin or apoferritin-nanoparticles, with a decrease in V max . Furthermore, the K m of the enzyme increased for both ATP and L-arginine substrates. Meantime, the inhibition constant (K i ) values for the apoferritin and apoferritin-nanoparticle interaction were in the submicromolar concentration ranging between 0.062 to 0.168 nM and 0.001 to 0.057 nM, respectively, for both substrates (i.e., L-arginine and ATP). Further kinetic analyses are warranted to aid the development of these nanoparticles as selective therapeutics. Also, more studies are required to elucidate the binding properties of these nanoparticles to arginine kinase of T. brucei .

Ferritin is a globular hollow protein that acts as the major iron storage protein across living organisms. The 8 nm-diameter internal cavity of ferritin has been used as a nanoreactor for the synthesis of various metallic nanoparticles different to iron oxides. For this purpose, ferritin is incubated in solution with metallic ions that enter the cavity through its natural channels. Then, these ions are subjected to a reduction step to obtain highly monodisperse metallic nanoparticles, with enhanced stability and biocompatibility provided by the ferritin structure. Potential biomedical applications of ferritin-nanoparticle complex will require the use of human ferritin to provide a safer and low-risk alternative for the delivery of metallic nanoparticles into the body. However, most of the reported protocols for metallic nanoparticles synthesis uses horse spleen ferritin as nanocontainer. Previous studies have acknowledged technical difficulties with recombinant human ferritin during the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, like protein precipitation, which is translated into low recovery yields. In this study, we tested a novel photochemical reduction method for silver nanoparticle synthesis in human recombinant ferritin and compared it with the traditional chemical reduction method. The results show that photoreduction of silver ions inside ferritin cavity provides a universal method for silver nanoparticle synthesis in both recombinant human ferritin homopolymers (Light and Heavy ferritin). Additionally, we report important parameters that account for the efficiency of the method, such as ferritin recovery yield (~60%) and ferritin‑silver nanoparticle yield (34% for H-ferritin and 17% for L-ferritin)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The aim of this study is to develop a novel method for the accurate diagnosis of the infection status of viral diseases, which requires discriminated and quantitative detection of different anti-virus immunoglubulin subtypes. Considering hepatitis A as a representative model disease, viral antigen nanoparticles (vAgNPs) were designed and synthesized by genetically presenting hepatitis A virus (HAV) antigens on the surface of human heavy chain ferritin (hFTH) nanoparticles to detect anti-HAV antibodies with discriminating immunoglobulin subtypes M and G (IgM and IgG, respectively). The vAgNPs also display multi-copies of hexa-histidine peptide (H6) on their surface to chemisorb gold ions (Au3+), which is vital for the autonomous generation of quantitatively meaningful detection signals. The quantitative level of anti-HAV IgM or IgG in 30 patient sera was successfully analyzed using the vAgNPs of HAV, which was performed through label-free one-step-immunoassay based on the self-enhancement of optical signals from gold nanoparticles clustered on the viral antigen nanoparticles. The diagnostic performance was compared with that of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which did not enable accurate quantitative assay due to the poor linearity between the antibody concentration and detection signal. Furthermore, these vAgNP-based immunoassays did not produce any false negative/positive signals, indicating 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Phosphorylated p53 proteins are biomarkers with clinical utility for early diagnosis of cancer, but difficult to quantify. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) based immunoassay is described here that uses uniform lanthanide nanoparticles (NPs) as elemental tags for the simultaneous determination of two phosphorylated p53 proteins. Apoferritin templated europium (Eu) phosphate (AFEP) NPs and apoferritin templated lutetium (Lu) phosphate (AFLP) NPs with 8 nm in diameter were used to label two phosphorylated p53 proteins at serine 15 and serine 392 sites (p-p53 15 and p-p53 392 ), respectively. The assay has a sandwich format, and p-p53 15 and p-p53 392 were first captured and then recognized by AFEP and AFLP NPs labelled antibodies, respectively. The Eu and Lu were then released from the immune complexes under acidic condition for ICP-MS measurement. The limits of detection for p-p53 15 and p-p53 392 are 200 and 20 pg·mL -1 , with linear ranges of 0.5-20 and 0.05-20 ng·mL -1 , respectively. The method was further applied to study the response of p-p53 15 and p-p53 392 in SCC-7 cells exposed to the natural carcinogen arsenite. A significant up-regulation of p-p53 15 and p-p53 392 can be observed when cells were exposed to arsenite at 5 μmol·L -1 level for 24 h. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of the ICP-MS immunoassay using apoferritin templated europium (III) and lutetium (III) phosphate nanoparticles as labels for the simultaneous determination of two phosphorylated p53 proteins. Europium (Eu) phosphate nanoparticles (blue) and lutetium (Lu) phosphate nanoparticles (pink) were synthesized in the size-restricted cavity of apoferritin. They were further coupled with antibodies to prepare Eu and Lu labelled probes for p-p53 15 (blue) and p-p53 392 (pink), respectively. After formation of a a sandwich, the labelled Eu and Lu were dissociated in acid and then introduced to ICP-MS for the simultaneous determination of two phosphorylated p53 proteins p-p53 15 (blue) and p-p53 392 (pink).

Background: Ferritin is a globular intracellular protein that acts as the main reservoir for iron. Malignancies are associated with increased plasma ferritin concentrations. A number of studies show that tumor cells express high levels of transferrin receptors (TfR). Increased TfR expression was observed in prostate carcinoma. Apoferritin (APO) can be used as a protein nanotransporter into which a suitable medicinal substance can be encapsulated. Nanoparticles increase the permeability of tumor cells to nanotransporters and have a photothermal effect. The aim of this study was to encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) into APO and to modify the resulting APO/DOX with gold (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles prepared by green synthesis (AgNPsGS)., Methods: APO was characterized using 10% sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) - 120 V, 60 min, 24 mM Tris, 0.2 M glycine, 3 mM SDS. DOX fluorescence (Ex 480 nm; Em 650 nm) was observed, with a typical absorption maximum at 560 nm. Electrochemical measurement was performed in Brdicka solution (three-electrode setup). AgNPsGS were prepared by green synthesis using clover (Trifolium pratense L.)., Results: An electrophoretic study of APO and APO/DOX (5-100 μg/mL) was performed and the behavior of APO and APO/DOX (10 μM) as a function of pH was monitored. In an acidic environment, APO forms subunits of about 20 kDa; in an alkaline medium, it forms a globular protein of about 450 kDa. A change in APO/DOX mobility (about by 10%) was observed. A film of gold nanoparticles was applied to the APO/DOX surface. APO/DOX-AuNPs were washed with ultra-pure water. pH-dependent release of DOX a was monitored. The amount of DOX analyzed was increased by up to 50%. Furthermore, an AgNPsGS-DOX complex (1 mg AgNPsGS/100 μM DOX) was generated and prepared. Subsequently, the AgNPsGS-DOX complex was encapsulated into APO. To further improve therapeutic efficacy, the APO/AgNPsGS-DOX complex was coated with an Au layer. APO/AgNPsGS-DOX/AuNPs were stable and DOX was released from the complex after physical parameters had changed., Conclusion: APO nanocomplexes were prepared and modified to increase therapeutic efficacy against tumors. Tumor cell targeting was achieved by binding to TfR and via increased tumor cell permeability and retention. Release of the drug was made possible due to a pH change and photothermal activation that will now be tested. This work was supported by COST European Cholangiocarcinoma Network CA18122 and International Collaboration Project of The European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 21. 3. 2019 Accepted: 14. 5. 2019.

Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an effective method of tumor therapy. Herein, we designed a new type of composite particle, apoferritin (APO) encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX), and the surface of APO was modified with Au nanoshell. As a nanocarrier, APO can carry chemotherapy drug DOX (APODOX) and release drug under acidic and high temperature conditions to reduce side effects of anticancer drugs. After covering Au nanoshell (APODOX-Au), the photothermal effect can be produced because of the unique surface plasmon resonance properties of gold nanoshell. This nanoplatform also provides the multi-stimuli responsive drug release system, which can achieve drug release in different conditions and have great potential in biomedical applications. Our investigation has demonstrated that APODOX-Au has good stability, high dispersibility and biocompatibility in vitro. The strong near-infrared absorption and good photothermal effect make sure the quick response to environmental changes (pH, temperature) to achieve drug release. These findings indicate that these nanoparticles have a potential application value in cancer treatment., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative stress, which involves in the pathogenesis of many serious diseases. Apoferittin containing gold-silver nanoparticles (Au-Ag-AFT) was designed and evaluated as a nanozyme for scavenging the ROS. The nanozyme consisting of silver-gold nanohybrid in apoferittin cage represents superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase mimetic activities. The Au-Ag-AFT nanozyme was characterized by spectroscopy, FESEM, TEM and dynamic light scattering. The inhibition process for pyrogallol autoxidation was used for assaying the superoxide dismutase mimetic activity and measuring the kinetic parameters of Au-Ag-AFT nanozyme. Additionally, Aebi method and standard protocol was used for evaluating the catalase and peroxidase mimetic activity. The k cat values for superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase mimetics activity were 1.4 × 10 6 , 0.1 and 9 × 10 3  s -1 respectively. These values indicated that Au-Ag-AFT nanozyme could act as a suitable ROS scavenger. Additionally, Au-Ag-AFT nanozyme was examined as a protective agent for human sperm against oxidative stress induced during the cryopreservation process. Presence of the nanozyme in the sperm media significantly increased the motility and viability of the cells and also decreased the ROS, apoptosis and necrosis (P < 0.05) compare to the control group., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Current immunoassays are in general performed through time-consuming multi-step procedures that depend on the use of premade signal-producing reporters and often cause assay inaccuracy. Here we report an advanced immunoassay technology that resolves the delayed, complex, and inaccurate assay problems of conventional immunoassays. We have developed an accurate, rapid, simple, and label-free one-step-immunoassay based on the self-enhancement of sensitive immunoassay signals in an assay solution. The nano-scale protein particles (hepatitis B virus capsid and human ferritin heavy chain particles) were genetically engineered to present many well-oriented antibody (or antigen) probes and multi-copies of poly-histidine peptides on their surface, resulting in the construction of 3-dimensional (3D) bioprobes that chemisorb gold ions via coordination bonding and sensitively detect both antigen and antibody analytes. Systematic numerical and experimental analyses show that the signal self-enhancement happens through two coupled reactions under reducing conditions: (1) 3D bioprobe-based sensitive immuno-detection of analytes and (2) coordinated assembly of free and chemisorbed gold nanoparticles around the 3D bioprobe-analyte-associated complexes, which is followed by the quick generation of apparent optical signals. This advanced one-step-immunoassay was successfully applied to diagnostic assays requiring high accuracy and/or speed, i.e. diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and hepatitis C through detecting a cardiac protein (troponin I) and anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in patient sera, indicating that it is applicable to the accurate and rapid detection of both antigen and antibody markers of a wide range of diseases.

Apoferritin caged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were assembled into flower-like structures by precise base pairing of the attached DNA molecules. The key step was to use the eight hydrophilic channels through the apoferritin to control the exact number and locations of the DNA molecules that grafted onto the caged AuNP.

Manganese nanoparticles (MnNPs) were created within horse spleen apoferritin (HsAFr) cavity nanotemplates. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the particle size to be 6 nm. Intrinsic fluorescence data showed that the mineralization acted as a quencher of the HsAFr fluorescence, and extrinsic fluorescence data revealed that the hydrophobic binding site at the surface of HsAFr was not changed. Finally, the MnNP-HsAFr was immobilized onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes entrapped into chitosan (CS) matrices by through sequential 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide-N-hydroxysuccinimide and glutaraldehyde coupling. The MnNPs-HsAFr immobilized on CNT-CS/GC electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry. This charge transfer coefficient (α) and the exchange current (i 0 ) of MnNPs-HsAFr immobilized on modified electrode in 0.1 M phosphate solution (pH 7.5) were found to be 0.57 and 0.48 μA, respectively., (© 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

The electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid (AA) was investigated using a cobalt(III)-ferritin immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer modified gold electrode in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5). The modified electrode showed excellent electrochemical activity for oxidation of AA. The response to AA on the modified electrode was examined using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. The resulting biosensor showed a linear response to AA in a concentration range from 6.25×10 -6 to 2.31×10 -5 M with sensitivity of 86,437 μAM - 1 and detection limit of 4.65 × 10 -6 M based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Electrochemical parameters including the charge transfer coefficient (α) and the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k s ) for AA were found to be 0.52 and 1.054 Sec -1 , respectively. It has been shown that, using this modified electrode, AA can be determined with high sensitivity, low detection limit, and high selectivity., (© 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

The discovery and application of noble metal nanoclusters have received considerable attention. In this paper, we reported that apoferritin paired gold clusters (Au-Ft) could efficiently catalyze oxidation of 3.3',5.5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2 to produce a blue color reaction. Compared with natural enzyme, Au-Ft exhibited higher activity near acidic pH and could be used over a wide range of temperatures. Apoferritin nanocage enhanced the reaction activity of substrate TMB by H2O2. The reaction catalyzed by Au-Ft was found to follow a typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The kinetic parameters exhibited a lower K(m) value (0.097 mM) and a higher K(cat) value (5.8 × 10(4) s(-1)) for TMB than that of horse radish peroxidase (HRP). Base on these findings, Au-Ft, acting as a peroxidase mimetic, performed enzymatic spectrophotometric analysis of glucose. This system exhibited acceptable reproducibility and high selectivity in biosening, suggesting that it could have promising applications in the future., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The use of (57)Fe-isotopically enriched ferritin for the accurate measurement of Fe : ferritin ratios is proposed for metabolic studies. Thus, the synthesis of (57)Fe-isotopically enriched ferritin from horse apo-ferritin and isotopically enriched (NH4)2(57)Fe(II)(SO4)2 (Mohr's salt) is conducted. Size exclusion chromatography on-line with UV-VIS absorption (at 380 nm) is used in order to monitor the loading process of apo-ferritin. These studies revealed that the Fe-incorporation process involves also the formation of protein aggregates (oligomers) showing higher molecular mass than ferritin. A final optimized protocol involving incubation of the synthesized standard with guanidine hydrochloride (pH 3.5) has provided the best conditions for maintaining a stable protein structure without aggregates. Such (57)Fe-isotopically enriched ferritin was characterized and contained an average of 2200 atoms of Fe per mole of ferritin. The evaluation of the Fe-core after saturation with (57)Fe by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) has revealed the formation of (57)Fe nanoparticles with a similar diameter to that of the commercial Fe-containing ferritin, confirming the process of Fe uptake, oxidation and mineralization within the protein cavity. The synthesized (57)Fe-ferritin shows great potential as a nanometabolic tracer to study the kinetics of Fe release in the cases of iron metabolic disorders.

Luminescent europium (Eu) and dysprosium (Dy) doped yttrium-vanadate (Y-V) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in the cavity of the protein, apoferritin. Y-V NPs were synthesized by incubating a solution of apoferritin with Y(3+) and VO3(-) ions in the presence of ethylene diamine-N-N'-diacetic acid (EDDA). EDDA plays an important role in preventing Y-vanadate precipitation in bulk solution by chelating the Y(3+) ions. Using high resolution electron microscopy, the obtained NPs in the apoferritin cavities were confirmed to be amorphous, and to consist of Y and V. Eu-doped Y-V (Y-V:Eu) NPs were synthesized by the same procedure as Y-V NPs, except that Eu(NO3)3 was added. Y-V:Eu NPs exhibited a strong absorption peak due to the O-V charge transfer transition and remarkable luminescence at 618 nm due to the (5)D0 → (7)F2 transition. The luminescence lifetime of Y:Eu and Y-V:Eu NPs measured in H2O and D2O solution showed reduction of non-radiative transition to the O-H vibration in Y-V:Eu NPs. Accordingly, Y-V NPs showed strong luminescence compared to Y:Eu NPs. Dy-doped Y-V NPs were also synthesized in apoferritin cavities and showed luminescence peaks at 482 nm and 572 nm, corresponding to (4)F9/2 → (6)H15/2 and (4)F9/2 → (6)H13/2 transitions. These NPs stably dispersed in water solution since their aggregation was prevented by the protein shell. NPs encapsulated in the protein are likely to be biocompatible and would have significant potential for biological imaging applications.

Light-chain apoferritin lacks ferroxidase activity, which can be supplemented with Pt-nanoparticles. The hybrid bioinorganic nanoparticle outperforms its heavy-chain pendant in terms of ferroxidase activity, mineralization ability and inhibition resistance. Being active in a cellular environment it regulates the iron homeostasis.

A novel sandwich electrochemical immunoassay was developed for ultrasensitive detection of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALVs-J) using graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and apoferritin-encapsulated Cu (Cu-apoferritin) nanoparticles for signal amplification. GQDs were used both for the conjugation of primary ALVs-J antibodies (Ab1), and immobilization of secondary ALVs-J antibodies (Ab2) after compounded with Fe3O4. Cu-apoferritin nanoparticles were first selected to immobilize onto Fe3O4@GQDs hybrid as electroactive probes. After the well-known sandwich-type assembly, Cu was released from the apoferritin cavity, and then detected by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Owing to the huge surface area GQDs provided, a considerable number of antibodies were loaded onto the immunosensor, which effectively increased the electrical signal. And the introduction of Cu-apoferritin nanoparticles increased the loading amount of electroactive probes significantly; hence the signal was once again amplified. To embody the signal amplification property of the protocol, the performance of various labels was compared in detail. The immunosensor displayed excellent analytical performance for the detection of ALVs-J range from 10(2.08) to 10(4.50)TCID50/mL with a detection limit of 115TCID50/mL (S/N=3), and the resulting immunosensor also showed high sensitivity, good reproducibility and stability., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The protein shell of apoferritin-encapsulated maghemite nanoparticles was functionalized with two different red-emitting perylenediimide fluorophores (PDI). One glycosacharide-PDI complex has been synthesized for the first time to be labeled to apoferritin-encapsulated maghemite nanoparticles. Bifunctionality of maghemite@perylenediimide was demonstrated by both magnetic-core and fluorescent-labeled shell properties. SQUID measurements confirmed superparamagnetic behavior above 35K. Fluorescence of perylenediimides is retained once attached to the magnetic nanoparticle. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy showed that one of these fluorescent-magnetic nanoparticles was specifically internalized in bifidobacteria without affecting cell viability. These results revealed that the dual-modal imaging probes of maghemite@perylenediimide nanoparticles have the potential to be used as optical/MR dual imaging agents., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oxyhydroxy cobalt CoO(OH) nanoparticles (Co-NPs) were prepared in horse spleen apoferritin (HsAFr) cavity. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the particle size was 5.5-6 nm. Mineralization effect on HsAFr was investigated by fluorescence and far-UV circular dichroism (far-UV CD) spectroscopies. The far-UV CD experiments indicated an increase in the α-helical content after mineralization. Intrinsic fluorescence data showed that mineralization acts as a quencher of HsAFr. For the first time, direct electron transfer between Co(NPs)-HsAFr and a glassy carbon electrode in the thin film of dihexadecylphosphate (DHP) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) to design a biosensor. The anionic surfactant DHP was used to achieve direct electron-transfer between Co(NPs)-HsAFr molecules and the GC electrode surface. CV result showed clearly a pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks arise from Co(NPs)-HsAFr embedded in DHP film. This novel biosensor can be used in medical and industrial fields to detect different analytes.

An electrochemical approach for detection of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on nucleobase-conjugated apoferritin probe loaded with metal phosphate nanoparticles is reported. Coupling of the nucleotide-modified nanoparticle probe to the mutant sites of duplex DNA was induced by DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment) to preserve Watson-Crick base-pairing rules. After sequential liquid hybridization of biotinylated DNA probes with mutant DNA and complementary DNA, the resulting duplex DNA helixes were captured to the surface of magnetic beads through a well known and specific biotin-streptavidin affinity binding. For signaling each of eight possible Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn phosphate-loaded apoferritin nanoparticle probes were linked to adenosine (A), cytidine (C), guanosine (G), and thymidine (T) mononucleotides, respectively. Monobase-conjugated apoferritin probes were coupled to the mutant sites of the formed duplex DNA in the presence of DNA polymerase. Electrochemical stripping analyses of the metals loaded in apoferritin nanoparticle probes provide a means for detection and quantification of mutant DNA. Each mutation captures different nucleotide-conjugated apoferritin probe and provide a distinct four-potential voltammogram, whose peak potentials reflect the identity of the mismatch. The method is sensitive enough to accurately determine AG mutation, as the most thermodynamically stable mismatch to detect, in the range of 50-600 pM. The proposed protocol provides a simple, fast, cost-effective, accurate and sensitive method for detection of SNPs., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Bimetallic CoNi nanoparticles have been prepared within the apoferritin cavity. The protein shell controls size, prevents aggregation, and makes nanoparticles water-soluble. The CoNi series prepared in this way were structurally and magnetically characterized, the resulting magnetic properties varying accordingly with composition (Co(75)/Ni(25), Co(50)/Ni(50), Co(25)/Ni(75)). Co and Ni metals were associated in each nanoparticle, as demonstrated by high-angle annular dark field scanning electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). After intentional oxidation, the CoNi nanoparticles were characterized by EELS, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and SQUID measurements to evaluate the importance of the oxidation on magnetic properties.

The great potential for medical applications of inorganic nanoparticles in living organisms is severely restricted by the concern that nanoparticles can harmfully interact with biological systems, such as lipid membranes or cell proteins. To enable an uptake of such nanoparticles by cells without harming their membranes, platinum nanoparticles were synthesized within cavities of hollow protein nanospheres (apoferritin). In vitro, the protein-platinum nanoparticles show good catalytic efficiency and long-term stability. Subsequently the particles were tested after ferritin-receptor-mediated incorporation in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Upon externally induced stress, for example, with hydrogen peroxide, the oxygen species in the cells decreased and the viability of the cells increased.

Nanocrystalline metals display interesting basic and technological properties related to their chemical and structural properties. Among other properties, they display a richer phase diagram due to the additional degree of freedom introduced by the nanoparticles surface. Metal nanoparticles encapsulated within biological macromolecules have the additional advantage of biocompatibility. In this paper we investigate the thermal evolution of the structure and dynamics of apoferritin encapsulated nanocrystalline copper. We determined the occurrence of a yet unexpected phase transition from a low temperature FCC to a complex high temperature phase including a (putative) amorphous precursor. The occurrence of a FCC-icosahedral transition is also discussed as a possible explanation to our results. The lattice dynamics of the FCC phase (monitored by its Debye temperature) differs from the behaviour expected for nanosized structures.

We report a templated-synthetic approach based on protein-cage of apoferritin to prepare radionuclide nanoparticle (NP) conjugates. Non-radioactive yttrium (89Y) was used as a model target and surrogate for radioyttrium (90Y) to prepare the nanoparticle conjugate. The center cavity and multiple channel structure of apoferritin offer a fast and facile method to precipitate yttrium phosphate by diffusing yttrium and phosphate ions into the cavity of apoferritin, resulting a core-shell nanoparticle. The yttrium phosphate/apoferritin nanoparticle was functionalized with biotin for further application. The synthesized nanoparticle was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We found that the resulting nanoparticles were uniform in size, with a diameter of around 8 nm. We tested the pre-targeting capability of the biotin-modified yttrium phosphate/apoferritin nanoparticle conjugate with streptavidin-modified magnetic beads and with aid of streptavidin-modified fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) tracer. This work shows that an yttrium phosphate NP conjugate provides a fast, simple and efficient method to prepare radioactive yttrium conjugate for potential applications in radioimmunotherapy of cancer.

A simple method for synthesizing gold nanoparticles stabilized by horse spleen apoferritin (HSAF) is reported using NaBH(4) or 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS) as the reducing agent. AuCl(4)(-) reduction by NaBH(4) was complete within a few seconds, whereas reduction by MOPS was much slower; in all cases, protein was required during reduction to keep the gold particles in aqueous solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the gold nanoparticles were associated with the outer surface of the protein. The average particle diameters were 3.6 and 15.4 nm for NaBH(4)-reduced and MOPS-reduced Au-HSAF, respectively. A 5-nm difference in the UV-Vis absorption maximum was observed for NaBH(4)-reduced (530 nm) and MOPS-reduced Au-HSAF (535 nm), which was attributed to the greater size and aggregation of the MOPS-reduced gold sample. NaBH(4)-reduced Au-HSAF was much more effective than MOPS-reduced Au-HSAF in catalyzing the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH(4), based on the greater accessibility of the NaBH(4)-reduced gold particle to the substrate. Rapid reduction of AuCl(4)(-) by NaBH(4) was determined to result in less surface passivation by the protein. Methods for studying ferritin-gold nanoparticle assemblies may be readily applied to other protein-metal colloid systems.

Encoded metallic phosphate nanoparticle tags, with distinct encoding patterns, have been prepared using an apoferritin template. A center cavity structure as well as the dissociation and reconstructive characteristics of apoferritin at different pH environments provides a facile route for preparing such encoded nanoparticle tags. Encapsulation and diffusion approaches have been investigated during the preparation. The encapsulation approach, which is based on the dissociation and reconstruction of apoferritin at different pHs, exhibits an effective route to prepare such encoded metallic phosphate nanoparticle tags. The compositionally encoded nanoparticle tag leads to a high coding capacity with a large number of distinguishable voltammetric signals, reflecting the predetermined composition of the metal mixture solution (and hence the nanoparticle composition). Releasing the metal components from the nanoparticle tags at pH 4.6 acetate buffer avoids harsh dissolution conditions, such as strong acids. Such a synthesis of encoded nanoparticle tags, including single-component and compositionally encoded nanoparticle tags, is substantially simple, fast, and convenient compared to that of encoded metal nanowires and semiconductor nanoparticle (CdS, PbS, and ZnS) incorporated polystyrene beads. The encoded metallic phosphate nanoparticle tags thus show great promise for bioanalytical or product-tracking/identification/protection applications.