Chimeric ferritin nanocages-based imaging probes

Abstract

Ferritin is a family of proteins found in different forms in most living organisms. Each ferritin is made up of 24 subunits, which self-assemble to form a cage-like nanostructure, with external and internal diameters of 12 and 8 nm, respectively. This unique architecture provides two interfaces—one outside and one inside—for possible functional loading. These interesting features make ferritin a powerful, capacious nanoplatform with potential in a wide spectrum of applications.