In New York, researchers are using modifiable proteins for targeted cancer chemotherapy to try and keep healthy nearby cells healthy while killing cancer cells. The proteins combine a lipid container to transport past a cell membrane and a protein capsule that binds both small chemotherapeutic molecules and nucleic acids.
“Unlike other pursuits at producing dual gene and drug delivery systems, this approach doesn’t require tedious chemical synthesis procedures; rather we can biosynthesize any variant of the supercharged protein,” NYU Tandon Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Jin Kim Montclare told Genetic Literacy Project. “This allows for substituting different siRNA molecules and chemotherapeutic drugs to suit lab needs.”