Specific protein delivery to target cells by antibody-displaying bionanocapsules

Bionanocapsules (BNCs) are nanoparticles with a high biocompatibility composed of the L protein of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen. BNC can deliver bioactive molecules to hepatocytes efficiently and specifically. However, delivery is limited to hepatocytes and incorporation of proteins into BNC is quite troublesome. Here, in order to alter the specificity of BNC and to achieve efficient protein delivery, we developed engineered BNC displaying the ZZ domain of protein A and incorporating enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) inside the particles using an insect cell expression system. The ZZ domain displayed on the surface of BNC binds to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies, allowing specific delivery of EGFP to HeLa cells. The engineered BNCs are a promising and powerful tool for efficient and cell-specific protein delivery.