title: Targeting and photodynamic killing of a microbial pathogen using protein cage architectures functionalized with a photosensitizer.
abstract: The selectivity of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be enhanced by coupling the photosensitizer (PS) to a targeting ligand. Nanoplatforms provide a medium for designing delivery vehicles that incorporate both functional attributes. We report here the photodynamic inactivation of a pathogenic bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, using targeted nanoplatforms conjugated to a photosensitizer (PS). Both electrostatic and complementary biological interactions were used to mediate targeting. Genetic constructs of a protein cage architecture allowed site-specific chemical functionalization with the PS and facilitated dual functionalization with the PS and the targeting ligand. These results demonstrate that protein cage architectures can serve as versatile templates for engineering nanoplatforms for targeted antimicrobial PDT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Center for BioInspired Nanomaterials, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Suci
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Varpness
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gillitzer
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010777:Photochemistry; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011506:Proteins