A structural model of a protein cage.
This sphere may look like a cluster of Froot Loops, but it’s actually the structure of a drug delivery capsule made from 24 ring-shaped translocon-associated protein (TRAP) complexes held together with cobalt, gold, or zinc ions. Created by researchers at Durham University and the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, these 22-nm diameter cages are large enough to comfortably tote a couple of proteins—or a couple hundred small drug molecules. The spheres fall apart and release their cargo in acidic environments, such as those found inside tumors (Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2024, DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400712).
Credit: Macromolecular Rapid Communications
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