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

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. ^Superscript CPMV 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 _T CPMV _FePt and cisplatin (Cis) ( _T CPMV _Cis ) is reported. _T CPMV _Cis exhibited a cytotoxic IC ₅₀ of _T CPMV _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 _T CPMV _FePt were prepared as potential MRI contrast agents.
Conclusion: Cisplatin loaded VLP ( _T CPMV _Cis ) is shown to enhance cisplatin cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines with its potency increased by 2.3-folds.
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