ISSN: 2206-7418Nanotheranostics
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Special Issue
Virus-inspired Nanomedicine
Guest editor:
Chuanbin Mao, PhD
Email:
Viruses are nanoscale organisms that infect living hosts from animals and plants to microorganisms. Structurally, they are made of protein coat or capsid that encloses nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) coding for the virus elements. By inserting the gene encoding functional proteins into the viral genome, the functional proteins can be genetically displayed on virus protein coat to form bioengineered viruses. Therefore, viruses can be pictured as biological nanoparticles with genetically tunable surface chemistry and can serve as models for developing virus-like nanoparticles. In addition, some viruses have been demonstrated human-safe and most viruses can be easily produced in large scale, making them an ideal biomedicine.
Viruses have unique features compared to other biotic or abiotic nanoparticles. Viruses can be bioengineered to display cell-targeting or tissue-homing peptides for the targeted therapies and bio-imaging; Viruses are able to carry the genes of interest and deliver them into target cells for protein expression; Viruses are ideal drug carriers that enable targeted delivery and controlled release; Bio-engineered viruses can be mass-produced to substitute some of the protein/peptide drugs with lower cost; Viruses can be genetically engineered to display antigens and serve as a vaccine.
Recently, viruses, bioengineered viruses, and virus-like particles have been successfully used for gene delivery, drug delivery, tissue regeneration, bio-imaging, bio-sensing, vaccine, phage therapy, cancer treatment, and so on. This special issue will summarize the recent exciting findings of using virus or virus-like nanoparticles as nanomedicine, discuss the potential problem of virus medicine, and give the future directions.
We are highly interested in the following topics, including but not limited to:
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for gene and drug delivery
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for bioimaging
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for detecting biomarkers
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for directing stem cell fate
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for tissue repair and regeneration
- virus or virus-like nanoparticles for immunotherapy
Both research articles and reviews will be considered. For more information on the journal and its style, please refer to “Instructions for Authors” at http://www.ntno.org/ms/author. All the invited and contributed manuscripts will undergo the standard peer-review procedure of the Journal “Nanotheranostics”, and will be scrutinized by the associate editor and at least two additional expert reviewers in the field. The manuscript submission DEADLINE is set for December 1st, 2016 and the first decision will conclude with 6 weeks from submission after peer-review process.
Manuscripts for this special issue should be submitted online at http://www.ntno.org/ms/submit (mark "Virus-inspired Nanomedicine" in the "Suggested reviewers" field to identify the paper).
All inquiries should be sent to the guest editor(s) at the above email address.
