Artificial Capsoid Proteins Transport Drug Actives Into Living Cells -- Research Milestone At responsif GmbH

Small molecules and proteins can now be ferried into living cells via a new technique making use of artificial capsoids. This research milestone, published in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the result of recent research carried out by responsif GmbH. The scientists used biotechnological methods to produce a capsoid protein and an anchor protein to which various substances can be coupled. The capsoid protein is a viral coat protein found on the surface of the murine polyoma virus; the anchor protein was taken from the inner part of the viral capsoid. The responsif researchers had coupled methotrexate (MTX) to the anchor protein; MTX is an active that halts the growth of certain leukemia cells. Furthermore, they produced an addition molecular anchor connected to a small protein molecule (27 kDa). When exposed to light of a certain wavelength, this protein emits a green fluorescence.