Ferritin subunits of heavy and light polypeptide chains self-assemble into a spherical nanocage that serves as a natural transport vehicle for metals but can include diverse cargoes. Ferritin nanoparticles are characterized by remarkable stability, small and uniform size. Chemical modifications and molecular re-engineering of ferritin yield a versatile platform of nanocarriers capable of delivering a broad range of therapeutic and imaging agents. Targeting moieties conjugated to the ferritin external surface provide multivalent anchoring of biological targets. Here, we highlight some of the current work on ferritin as well as examine potential strategies that could be used to functionalize ferritin via chemical and genetic means to enable its utility in vascular drug delivery.

重和轻多肽链的铁蛋白亚基自组装成球形纳米笼，可以用作金属的天然运输载体，但可以包括各种货物。铁蛋白纳米颗粒的特点是具有显着的稳定性，小而均匀的尺寸。铁蛋白的化学修饰和分子再工程产生了纳米载体的通用平台，能够提供广泛的治疗剂和显像剂。与铁蛋白外表面缀合的靶向部分提供了生物靶标的多价锚定。在这里，我们重点介绍了有关铁蛋白的最新研究成果，并研究了可用于通过化学和遗传手段功能化铁蛋白以使其在血管药物递送中发挥作用的潜在策略。