title: Hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles: From tumor-targeted drug delivery to cancer imaging.
abstract: Recently, a great interest has been paid to the development of hybrid protein-inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery and cancer diagnostics in order to combine the merits of both inorganic and protein nanocarriers. This review primarily discusses the most outstanding advances in the applications of the hybrids of naturally-occurring proteins with iron oxide, gadolinium, gold, silica, calcium phosphate NPs, carbon nanotubes, and quantum dots in drug delivery and cancer imaging. Various strategies that have been utilized for the preparation of protein-functionalized inorganic NPs and the mechanisms involved in the drug loading process are discussed. How can the protein functionalization overcome the limitations of colloidal stability, poor dispersibility and toxicity associated with inorganic NPs is also investigated. Moreover, issues relating to the influence of protein hybridization on the cellular uptake, tumor targeting efficiency, systemic circulation, mucosal penetration and skin permeation of inorganic NPs are highlighted. A special emphasis is devoted to the novel approaches utilizing the protein-inorganic nanohybrids in combined cancer therapy, tumor imaging, and theranostic applications as well as stimuli-responsive drug release from the nanohybrids.
authors: Cancer Nanotechnology Research Laboratory (CNRL), Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21521, Egypt; Department of Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21521, Egypt. Electronic address: ahmed_elzoghby@alexu.edu.eg.
authors: Ahmed O
authors: AO
authors: Elzoghby
authors: Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors: Ayman L
authors: AL
authors: Hemasa
authors: Cancer Nanotechnology Research Laboratory (CNRL), Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21521, Egypt; Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21521, Egypt.
authors: May S
authors: MS
authors: Freag
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011506:Proteins
keywords: Anti-cancer drug delivery; Cancer imaging; Inorganic nanoparticles; Nanohybrids; Protein nanoparticles; Theranostics; Tumor targeting