Immunotherapy, particularly in cancer treatment, can be enhanced using antibody–drug or antibody–radionuclide conjugates. These conjugates disrupt cell signaling and induce cell death, requiring the targeted antigen to be highly expressed on tumor cells to avoid damage to healthy tissues. One promising strategy to improve delivery of antibody conjugates is the use of magnetosomes, biological magnetic nanoparticles, which can be guided to tumor sites using magnetic fields. However, most antibody–drug or antibody–radionuclide conjugates are functionalized using the antibody amine groups of lysine residues on the heavy chains. Therefore, these amine groups are no longer available to bind the antibodies to the magnetosomes.
RESULTS
Here, we explore an alternative approach to bind amine-functionalized antibodies to magnetosomes. Using sulfosuccinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate as a crosslinker, the antibodies are chemically attached to the magnetosome membrane via thiol groups through antibody partial reduction. Our results demonstrate that this chemical process preserves the integrity and functionality of both magnetosomes and antibodies. Moreover, we prove that the produced magnetosome–antibody conjugates are stable under various in vivo-like conditions.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology(JCTB) is an international, inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal concerned with the application of scientific discoveries and advancements in chemical and biological technology that aim towards economically and environmentally sustainable industrial processes.