Protein-based Nanocarriers for Delivery of Nutraceutical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agents

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Background

In the past several decades, with the advent of nanotechnology, nanocarriers have become one of the most important and promising delivery systems for nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Nanocarriers are generally defined as nanoscale particle systems for encapsulating nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents to enhance physicochemical properties and prolong the circulation times of agents and deliver the agents to target sites. Typically applied nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents include nutraceutical agents, contrast agents, chemotherapy drugs, inhibitors, nucleic acids, proteins, etc. According to the chemical nature, the most widely studied nanocarriers can be classified into liposomes, synthetic polymer nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, and protein nanoparticles. It is considered a great advantage of nanocarriers over other carriers since it allows the use of nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents that are not stable in their free form to form stable nanocarriers.

There is growing interest in developing protein-based nanocarriers as generally regarded as safe delivery systems for nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Proteins have exceptional characteristics such as bioavailability, biodegradability, nonantigenicity, high nutritional value, sufficient sources, and extraordinary binding capacity of various nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The shape of protein nanoparticles can be classified into undeformable solid spherical nanoparticles, nanofibrils, nanotubes, nanogels, nanocages, plate-shaped nanoparticles. Protein nanoparticles can be used to construct different interactions between proteins and encapsulated agents to form three-dimensional networks, which can offer a variety of possibilities such as reversible protection and specific target delivery. Protein-based nanocarriers can be prepared by animal proteins (e.g., gelatin, collagen, albumin, milk proteins, silk proteins, and elastin) and plant proteins (e.g., zein, gliadin, soy proteins, and lectins). Protein-based nanocarriers can be prepared by a variety of methods such as desolvation, coacervation, emulsification, nanoprecipitation, nanospray drying, self-assembly, electrospraying, and crosslinking. Therefore, the research and development of protein-based nanocarriers is a hotspot in the field of functional foods, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

Nanopharmacology is a frontier and rapidly growing branch of pharmacology to study the interaction of a nanomedicine with living systems at the nanoscale level. The in vitro and in vivo nanopharmacological properties of protein-based nanocarriers can be affected by their physicochemical properties such as protein composition, protein solubility, properties of nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents, and nanocarrier surface properties. Therefore, it is important to explore the relationship between physicochemical properties and nanopharmacological properties of protein-based nanocarriers.

The objective of this Research Topic is to gather studies on the development and nanopharmacological research of protein-based nanocarriers for the delivery of nutraceutical, diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Original Research and Review articles are preferred but other article types will be also considered. Subtopics of interest include (but are not limited to):
• Protein-based nanocarrier concepts
• Material design and structural design for protein-based nanocarriers
• Novel preparation techniques for protein-based nanocarriers
• Novel molecular modification techniques for protein-based nanocarriers
• Novel characterization techniques for protein-based nanocarriers
• Exploration of multifunctional protein-based nanocarriers
• In vitro and in vivo evaluation of protein-based nanocarriers
• Digestion, absorption, and metabolism mechanisms of protein-based nanocarriers
• Relationship between physicochemical properties and nanopharmacological properties of protein-based nanocarriers
• Preclinical and clinical trials of protein-based nanocarriers
• Toxicity evaluation of protein-based nanocarriers

Keywords: nutraceutical, diagnostics, nanocarrier, nanopharmacology, protein, therapeutics

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