Virus-Like Particles as a Nonviral CRISPR/Cas Editing Delivery Tool
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Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Delivery of the Cas9/sgRNA Ribonucleoprotein Complex in Immortalized and Primary Cells via Virus-like Particles ("Nanoblades")
Published on: March 31, 2021
Antonio Carusillo1, Asma Naseem2, Alessia Cavazza3,4
1Center for Genomic Medicine and Rare Diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Abstract:
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are self-assembling viral protein complexes that mimic native virions while lacking replicative and infectious capacity. By retaining efficient cellular entry and cargo protection, they overcome key limitations of viral vectors, including insertional mutagenesis and strong immunogenicity. Their ease of production, flexible cargo capacity, and tunable tropism make them highly versatile tools. Here, we describe a protocol for generating VSV-G-pseudotyped VLPs that deliver CRISPR/Cas9 RNPs and their functional validation in surrogate cell lines.
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