The Display of Single-Domain Antibodies on the Surfaces of Connectosomes Enables Gap Junction-Mediated Drug Delivery to Specific Cell Populations.

Gap junctions, transmembrane protein channels that directly connect the cytoplasm of neighboring cells and enable the exchange of molecules between cells, are a promising new frontier for therapeutic delivery. Specifically, cell-derived lipid vesicles that contain functional gap junction channels, termed Connectosomes, have recently been demonstrated to substantially increase the effectiveness of small molecule chemotherapeutics. However, because gap junctions are present in nearly all tissues, Connectosomes have no intrinsic ability to target specific cell types, which potentially limits their therapeutic effectiveness.