London, April 23: Scientists have developed a new technique to bind proteins to nanoparticles that can help make drugs "smarter" and more effective at reaching their target.
The new technique decorates gold nanoparticles with a protein of choice so that they can be used to tailor drug to more accurately target an area on the body, such as a cancer tumour.
Gold nanoparticles are spheres made of gold atoms having a diameter of only few billionths of a metre which can be coated with a biological protein and combined with drugs to enable the treatment to travel through the body and reach the affected area.
"Gold nanoparticles are a vital tool in new drug development and drug delivery systems. We have unlocked the key to binding proteins and molecules so that those drugs will be more effective," said Enrico Ferrari, a nanobiotechnologist from Britain's University of Lincoln.
Until now, the proteins used to coat the nanoparticles had to be mixed together with particles which do not have the ability to control the way they bind, possibly making the drug less effective.
However, the new method, published in the journal Nature Communications, enables pharmacologists to place the proteins onto the gold nanoparticles layer by layer in a specific order.
This maintains the integrity of the protein so that the drug is more effective, opening up possibilities for the development of nanomedicine.
"This method might help to design nanomedicines that do not need extensive chemical modification of a protein drug or a nano-carrier and therefore can be developed more easily and faster," Ferrari added.
Researchers took fragments of proteins from bacteria and flatworms, which when fused together were effective at binding to the gold nanoparticle surface and able to form stable bonds to any other protein.
By mixing this fusion protein with gold nanoparticles, it permanently binds to the gold surface while also being able to stably bind a target protein.
The novel method could also potentially be applied to biosensors and diagnostic kits that use gold, such as those used in clinical settings to identify ongoing infections in patients' blood, the researchers said.
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Ajit Pawar sparks controversy with "You're Not My Boss" remark in Baramati
Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stirred controversy during a recent visit to Baramati with a remark addressing his voters. Speaking while receiving a memorandum, Pawar stated, “Just because you voted for me, it doesn’t mean you have become my boss or owner. Have you made me a farm labourer now?”
The statement has drawn widespread attention, coinciding with ongoing political discussions surrounding the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On January 3, the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP dismissed any possibility of reuniting with Sharad Pawar’s group.
The NCP has reiterated its alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and the Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare confirmed that the party’s July 2023 decision to align with the BJP remains unchanged.
“Our party is firmly allied with the NDA at the Centre and MahaYuti in the state. Under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, the NCP has achieved significant electoral victories. There is no rethinking on this stand,” Tatkare said.
When questioned about the possibility of reuniting with the Sharad Pawar faction, Tatkare dismissed speculation, stating, “There are no ifs and buts in politics.”
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar’s mother, Ashatai Pawar, has expressed her desire for reconciliation within the Pawar family. During a visit to the temple town of Pandharpur, she shared her hopes, saying, “I wish that the differences within the Pawar family end at the earliest. I hope Pandurang answers my prayers.”
Tatkare responded to her emotional appeal by distinguishing personal relationships from political decisions, asserting, “Family and politics are two different things.”
