Protein Nanocage Architectures For The Delivery Of Therapeutic Proteins

Protein assemblies with cage-like structures are found widely in Nature with a large diversity of structural properties and functionalities. These architectures provide both inspiration for biomimetic design and templates for bioengineering. Inspired by the native utility of protein nanocage (PNC) architectures for cargo loading, transport, and protection, significant effort has been put into the development of PNC-based biomedical applications, including therapeutic delivery. This review summarizes the designs of PNC architectures for the delivery of therapeutic proteins (categorized by the type of therapeutics) and highlights the achieved or potential advantages of the PNCs as delivery systems for these proteins.