Macropinocytosis-Inducible Extracellular Vesicles Modified with Antimicrobial Protein CAP18-Derived Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Efficient Intracellular Delivery.

The antimicrobial protein CAP18 (approximate molecular weight: 18 000), which was first isolated from rabbit granulocytes, comprises a C-terminal fragment that has negatively charged lipopolysaccharide binding activity. In this study, we found that CAP18 (106-121)-derived (sC18) peptides have macropinocytosis-inducible biological functions. In addition, we found that these peptides are highly applicable for use as extracellular vesicle (exosomes, EV)-based intracellular delivery, which is expected to be a next-generation drug delivery carrier.