The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shaken the global health system. Various nanotechnology-based strategies for vaccine development have played pivotal roles in fighting against SARS-CoV-2. Among them, the safe and effective protein-based nanoparticle (NP) platforms display a highly repetitive array of foreign antigens on their surface, which is urgent for improving the immunogenicity of vaccines. These platforms greatly improved antigen uptake by antigen presenting cells (APCs), lymph node trafficking, and B cell activation, due to the optimal size, multivalence, and versatility of NPs. In this review, we summarize the advances of protein-based NP platforms, strategies of antigen attachment, and the current progress of clinical and preclinical trials in the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on protein-based NP platforms. Importantly, the lessons learnt and design approaches developed for these NP platforms against SARS-CoV-2 also provide insights into the development of protein-based NP strategies for preventing other epidemic diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123979 | DOI Listing |
Int J Pharm
January 2025
Department of Physics, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant public health concern, emphasizing the need for innovative therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to develop a highly efficient nanocarrier for targeted drug delivery, enhancing drug efficacy while minimizing concentrations and limiting adverse effects. We synthesized protein-based β-lactoglobulin (βlg) nanoparticles (NPs), loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and sodium butyrate (NaB), and further functionalized with folic acid (FA) for specific targeting of folate receptor-positive CRC cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnalyst
January 2025
College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
A novel electrochemical microsensor was constructed on a traditional acupuncture needle (AN) and used to monitor a biomarker of the SARS-CoV-2-N protein. The reversible interaction of the borate bond between the -diol in this glycoprotein and the phenylboronic acid in 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MPBA) was accomplished. This interaction was applied to anchor the SARS-CoV-2-N protein onto 4-MPBA, which was covalently self-assemblied onto electrodeposited AuNPs by the S-Au bond.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Department of Life Sciences, POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang-si 37673, Republic of Korea.
The emergence of numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants, characterized by mutations in the viral RNA genome and target proteins, has presented challenges for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis. To address this, we developed universal aptamer probes capable of binding to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including highly mutated strains like Omicron. These aptamers were identified through protein-based SELEX using spike proteins from three key variants (D614G-substituted Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron) and virus-based SELEX, known as viro-SELEX.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
January 2025
State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
Elucidating the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying the gut-brain axis is critical for uncovering novel gut-brain interaction pathways and developing therapeutic strategies for gut bacteria-associated neurological disorders. Most studies have primarily investigated how gut bacteria modulate host epigenetics and gene expression; their impact on host alternative splicing, particularly in the brain, remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the effects of the gut-associated probiotic Lacidofil on alternative splicing across 10 regions of the rat brain using published RNA-sequencing data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Phys Chem B
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States.
Conventional methods for extracting rare earth metals (REMs) from mined mineral ores are inefficient, expensive, and environmentally damaging. Recent discovery of lanmodulin (LanM), a protein that coordinates REMs with high-affinity and selectivity over competing ions, provides inspiration for new REM refinement methods. Here, we used quantum mechanical (QM) methods to investigate trivalent lanthanide cation (Ln) interactions with coordination systems representing bulk solvent water and protein binding sites.
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