Gold-coated plant virus as computed tomography imaging contrast agent

Abstract

Chemical modification of the surface of viruses, both the interior and the exterior, imparts new functionalities, that have potential applications in nanomedicine. In this study, we developed novel virus-based nanomaterials as a contrast agent for computed tomography (CT) imaging in vitro. The gold-coated cowpea mosaic virus (Au-CPMV) particles were generated by the electrostatic adsorption of positively charged electrolyte on the virus capsid with the subsequent incubation and reduction of anionic gold complexes. Au-CPMV particles as a CT contrast agent offer a fast scan time (less than 2 min), low cost, and biocompatibility and allow for high-resolution imaging with ca. 150 Hounsfield units (HU). The Au-CPMV surface was further modified allowing for the incorporation of targeting molecules of specific cell types.

Viral nanoparticles for drug delivery, imaging, immunotherapy, and theranostic applications

“…Recently, gold-coated VNPs were developed using CPMV. These materials were engineered for CT imaging using scattered X-ray for 3D visual reconstruction and tissue segmentation [210]. The gold-coated CPMV improved the sensitivity of the technique by reducing the scan time to less than 2 min and achieved a resolution of nearly 150 Hounsfield units.…”

Plant Viruses and Bacteriophage-Based Reagents for Diagnosis and Therapy

“…Finally, gold-coated CPMV particles were recently developed for CT imaging, which uses scattered X-rays for three-dimensional visual reconstruction and tissue segmentation. The gold-coated CPMV particles improved the sensitivity of the technique, reducing the scan time to less than 2 min and achieving a resolution of nearly 150 HU (131).…”

The Viral Capsid As Novel Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery

“…Although there is no ideal therapeutic delivery developed yet, protein-based nanomaterials have been developed as potentially viable clinical therapeutics agents. Some of the proposed materials have already been evaluated in clinical settings as imaging agents while evaluating their cytotoxicity profile [ 65 , 89 , 90 ].…”

“…Though nanomaterials and virus capsid are in the establishment as a drug carrier, the utility and production depend on the physical parameters and chemistry. To use virus capsid, the isolation, purification and deployment require new technologies and methods and a lot of quality assessment to maximize extracted quantities; however, the synthetic and green method available for the nanomaterial's synthesis gives them the benefit ahead [ 89 , 144 , 157 , 158 ]. Discussing the pros and cons of using nanomaterials and viral capsid, the leverage of merits bends in the direction of the viral capsid, owing to being biological in origin.…”