Chemoenzymatic surface decoration of Nisin-shelled nanoemulsions: Novel targeted drug-nanocarriers for cancer applications.

Nisin, a peptide used as a natural food preservative, is employed in this work for the development of a novel nanocarrier system. Stable and uniform nisin-shelled nanoemulsions (NSNE) with a diameter of 100 ± 20 nm were successfully prepared using 20 kHz flow-through ultrasonication technique. The NSNE showed limited toxicity, high bactericidal activity and high drug loading capacity (EE 65 % w/w). In addition, the nisin shell was exploited for the site-specific attachment of a recombinantly produced cancer targeting ligand (αHER2 _LPETG IgG). Employing a unique two phases (bio-click) approach which involved both Sortase A mediated Azide Bioconjugation (SMAB) and Strain Promoted Azide Alkyne Cycloaddition (SPAAC) reactions, targeted NSNE (NSNE _DOX -αHER2 IgG) were successfully assembled and loaded with the chemotherapeutic drug Doxorubicin (DOX). Finally, NSNE _DOX -αHER2 IgG showed cancer-specific binding and augmented cytotoxicity to HER2 expressing tumour cells.
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.
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