Viral nanoparticles decorated with novel EGFL7 ligands enable intravital imaging of tumor neovasculature

• Published in: Nanoscale Vol. 9; no. 33; pp. 12096 - 12109
• Main Authors: Cho, Choi-Fong, Yu, Lihai, Nsiama, Tienabe K, Kadam, Alisha N, Raturi, Arun, Shukla, Sourabh, Amadei, Giulio A, Steinmetz, Nicole F, Luyt, Leonard G, Lewis, John D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 24.08.2017
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02558k

Angiogenesis is a dynamic process fundamental to the development of solid tumors. Epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (EGFL7) is a protein whose expression is restricted to endothelial cells undergoing active remodeling that has emerged as a key mediator of this process. EGFL7 expression is associated with poor outcome in several cancers, making it a promising target for imaging or therapeutic strategies. Here, EGFL7 is explored as a molecular target for active neovascularization. Using a combinatorial peptide screening approach, we describe the discovery and characterization of a novel high affinity EGFL7-binding peptide, E7p72, that specifically targets human endothelial cells. Viral nanoparticles decorated with E7p72 peptides specifically target tumor-associated neovasculature with high specificity as assessed by intravital imaging. This work highlights the value of EGFL7 as a target for angiogenic vessels and opens the door for novel targeted therapeutic approaches.