Self-assembled asparaginase-based nanoparticles with enhanced anti-cancer efficacy and anticoagulant activity

Asparaginase, widely distributed in bacteria, plants, and mammals, has attracted much attention for the biomedical applications ranging from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, melanomas, colorectal cancer to hematologic cancers. Herein, a facile and simple strategy is developed to fabricate protein assemblies with nano-spherical morphology through electrostatic interactions of asparaginase (Asp) and heparin (Hep). As-prepared nanoparticles exhibited high loading content (43.7%) of Asp while preserving the bioactivity. Importantly, thanks to the anticoagulant activity of the component of Hep, the assembled nanoparticles could effectively avoid the risk of thromboembolism, a common side effect caused by the usage of Asp. Moreover, the in vitro anti-cancer measurement demonstrated that these nanoparticles showed dose-dependent inhibitory effect towards MCF-7 cells in 1640 medium. These results pave the way to guide protein assembly with enhanced anti-cancer efficacy and reduced side effects.