An AFM Force Pulling Study of Riboflavin Receptor Targeting Nanoparticles

Abstract

Riboflavin ligands present an alternative pathway for targeted drug delivery as riboflavin receptors are over-expressed in breast and prostate cancer cells. We have examined a riboflavin-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer (generation 5) for targeting riboflavin binding protein (RFBP), which acts as a model protein for the riboflavin receptor. A single molecule force spectroscopy study using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was performed to examine the binding interactions between riboflavin-conjugated dendrimers and RFBP. Using multiple theoretical models, the apparent kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the riboflavin-conjugated dendrimer system were estimated.