We detail the design, synthesis, purification and characterization of MRI active and environmentally responsive nanoparticles of elastin-like polypeptides for use as a platform for theranostic applications. We have previously reported the formation and characterization of these nanoparticles and in order to use the system as a platform for theranostic applications, the protein based MRI contrast agent CA1.CD2 was fused to the C terminal of elastin-like polypeptides (ELP-IMG). Fusion of these two proteins resulted in the formation of nanoparticles that are environmentally responsive, bind and retain gadolinium effectively, provide contrast in T1 weighted imaging and have higher relaxivity values than clinical contrast agents. This fusion protein is entirely protein based and was designed using molecular biology techniques that allow for effortless expansion and modification of the construct. Due to these reasons this MRI contrast providing fusion protein serves as an excellent platform to create a class of protein based theranostic nanoparticles. The system is expressed in E.coli and purified using standard techniques

Synthesis and characterization of environmentally responsive and MRI active theranostic nanoparticles of elastin-like polypeptides

248th National Meeting (2014)

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