Recent advances spanning different fields of research continue to reveal a variety of nanosized substances. Probes, in the broadest sense of the term, are commonly employed to meet the growing demand for the detection and quantification of such target analytes. Their application, however, is often preceded by time-intensive and challenging heuristic optimization methods. Furthermore, the use of non-specific conjugation methods often results in sub-par targeting efficiency. In this context, a universal system that can overcome application-specific demands, and one that can spatially orient targeting moieties is a necessary and practical setup.Herein, we genetically modify apoferritin and generate a universal interface system composed of protein G and 6 x His-tag, through which any antibody and Ni-NTA-functionalized nanoparticle can be bound, respectively, to form unique probes (Figure-1). The modularity and high targeting efficiency of the platform is demonstrated via two separate instances in the detection of Claudin-4 (Figure 2), a cancer biomarker highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cells. Figure-1Figure-2

Think modular: A simple Apoferritin-based platform for the multifaceted detection of pancreatic cancer

247th National Meeting (2014)

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