Plant virus nanoparticles for BBB crossing and drug delivery to medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common paediatric brain tumor. Currently, a multimodal approach that combines surgery, radio- and chemo-therapy is the most effective treatment, but it has high impact on life quality. The main issue in the development of new drugs against MB is that they should cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the tumor in therapeutic quantities. To find a solution, bioinspired/bioengineered auto-assembling protein-based nanoparticles (NPs), such as viruses, are currently considered. We are setting up a “smart” imaging/delivery system based on the two differently shaped plant virus NPs (PVNPs) Potato virus X and Tomato Bushy Stunt virus, we previously tested for biosafety, biocompatibility and biodistribution. In fact, PVNPs produced in plants could virtually solve difficulties in large scale manufacturing, poor stability, costs and limited availability of approved materials for clinical use. PVNPs will be decorated with peptides enabling BBB crossing and MB cells targeting (taking advantages of in silico structure-prediction tools) and will be loaded with doxorubicin for imaging/chemotherapy. Preliminary results will be illustrated.