Chemotherapy pro-drug activation by biocatalytic virus-like nanoparticles containing cytochrome P450

•A bacterial CYP has been encapsulated inside virus-like nanoparticles (VLPs).•CYP-VLPs are able to transform chemotherapy pro-drugs tamoxifen and resveratrol.•Transformed pro-drugs by CYP-VLPs are similar that those obtained from human CYP.•The enzymatic VLPs remain stable after the catalytic reaction.

This work shows, for the first time, the encapsulation of a highly relevant protein in the biomedical field into virus-like particles (VLPs). A bacterial CYP variant was effectively encapsulated in VLPs constituted of coat protein from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV). The catalytic VLPs are able to transform the chemotherapeutic pro-drug, tamoxifen, and the emerging pro-drug resveratrol. The chemical nature of the products was identified, confirming similar active products than those obtained with human CYP. The enzymatic VLPs remain stable after the catalytic reaction. The potential use of these biocatalytic nanoparticles as targeted CYP carriers for the activation of chemotherapy drugs is discussed.

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