Host-cell-assisted construction of folate-engineered nanocarrier based on viral light particle for targeted cancer therapy

Targeted cancer therapy has aroused broad interests of researchers due to its accuracy in specific tumor targeting and few side effects on normal cells. In the last decades, oncolytic viral light particles (L-particles) have been transformed into smart nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. However, these L-particles, similar to the oncolytic viruses that they derived from, can only recognize the tumor cells expressing corresponding receptors, severely limiting their universal applications. Although modification of targeting agents onto their envelope can overcome this limitation, it is still a great challenge of doing so without interfering their biofunction since the envelope is fragile. Herein, a host-cell-assisted strategy has been proposed to construct folate-engineered nanocarriers (F-L-particles) with their biofunctions maintained to the largest extent. The F-L-particles are further multi-functionalized by encapsulating ultrasmall near-infrared quantum dots and antitumor drugs for tumor real-time imaging and therapy. Such a moderate, efficient and convenient cell-based strategy facilitates the development and widespread applications of the bio-nanocarriers in the field of targeted cancer therapy, and impels the interdisciplinary studies of nanotechnology, chemistry and virology.