Protein-Guided Delivery: Engineering Specificity for Precision Therapeutics

This Research Topic highlights cutting-edge research on how proteins can be engineered as targeted vehicles for small molecule and macromolecule delivery, with a focus on achieving specificity for defined cell populations.

Target specificity is a central problem in biology. The ability to deliver a small molecule or macromolecular therapeutic only to diseased cells is a major goal for reducing the side effects of existing therapeutics. This is particularly relevant for cytotoxic chemotherapies, where off-target adverse effects are a major dose-limiting factor. Target specificity is also critical across many other biomedical fields, from mental health to endocrine disorders. The ability to specifically manipulate a desired cell population would open new questions and drive breakthroughs in our understanding of physiology, disease, and therapy.
Proteins have long been sought after as tools for targeting specific cell populations. Their natural roles in the body and large surface areas lend themselves to specific target interactions not achievable by small molecules alone. The sheer complexity of protein folding and these interfaces has made this a daunting task.

This Topic focuses on new advances in engineering protein-based delivery vehicles for improved target-cell specificity. We welcome submissions on themes including, but not limited to:
• Methods for engineering protein delivery systems for improved target cell population specificity, penetration, internalization, signaling, or reduced immunogenicity
• Novel protein-based drug or enzyme delivery/targeting systems with defined cell-population specificity
• Methods of improved coupling or anchoring of small molecule and macromolecular cargoes to protein delivery systems
• Development or characterization of novel cargoes for existing protein delivery modalities

Please note: reviews are invited only.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: protein delivery, targeted drug delivery, cell targeting, target specificity, protein engineering, macromolecule delivery, drug targeting systems, cargo conjugation, cell penetration, protein-based therapeutics, targeted therapeutics, off-target effects

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.