Preparation and characterization of silica nanoparticles conjugated with a protein that specifically recognizes human cancer cells

BEL β-trefoil is a novel lectin purified from the fruiting bodies of king bolete mushrooms [1]. The lectin has potent anti-proliferative effects on human epithelial cancer cells which confers to it an interesting therapeutic potential as an antineoplastic agent. All the three potential binding sites present in the β-trefoil fold are able to selectively bind the T-antigen disaccharide (Thomsen Friedenreich antigen;Galβ1-3GalNAc) witch is specifically exposed in human carcinomas and other neoplastic tissues. Therefore BEL β-trefoil linked to nanoparticles could enable them to discriminate between healthy and neoplastic cells targeting nanoparticles specifically towards cancer cells. BEL β-trefoil is also available recombinantly expressed in E.coli fused with the GFP (Green Fluorescence Protein) that can be useful to immediately detect the presence and activity of the protein after the coupling reaction to nanoparticles