Concentration-Independent Multivalent Targeting of Cancer Cells by Genetically Encoded Core-Crosslinked Elastin/Resilin-like Polypeptide Micelles

Valency is a fundamental principle to control macromolecular interactions and is used to target specific cell types by multivalent ligand-receptor interactions using self-assembled nanoparticle carriers. At the concentrations encountered in solid tumors upon systemic administration, these nanoparticles are, however, likely to show critical micelle concentration (CMC)-dependent disassembly and thus loss of function. To overcome this limitation, core-crosslinkable micelles of genetically encoded resilin-/elastin-like diblock polypeptides were recombinantly synthesized. The amphiphilic constructs were covalently photo-crosslinked through the genetically encoded unnatural amino acid para -azidophenylalanine in their hydrophobic block and they carried different anticancer ligands on their hydrophilic block: the wild-type tenth human fibronectin type III domain, a GRGDSPAS peptide-both targeting α v β 3 integrin-and an engineered variant of the third fibronectin type III domain of tenascin C that is a death receptor 5 agonist. Although uncrosslinked micelles lost most of their targeting ability below their CMC, the crosslinked analogues remained active at concentrations up to 1000-fold lower than the CMC, with binding affinities that are comparable to antibodies.