BPS2026 – Development of novel bacterial lipoprotein-based nanoparticle for Rose Bengal delivery

Traditional nanocarriers such as liposomes are widely used for small-molecule delivery but often require complex multistep production. As a proof of principle, we investigated whether bacterial lipoproteins could serve as novel building blocks for biomaterials. We show that LipoMetQ, a lipoprotein from Neisseria meningitidis , self-assembles into micelle-like nanoparticles and encapsulate the small molecule Rose Bengal (RB), which has applications in oncology, using simple ultrafiltration. The resulting formulation, LipoRB, was characterized by dynamic light scattering and negative-stain TEM. LipoRB reduces RB aggregation and enables controlled release in vitro. In addition, MTT assays across several cultured cancer cell lines demonstrate dose-dependent cytotoxicity. These findings establish LipoRB as a first-of-its-kind nanocarrier. Its ease of production without specialized equipment highlights the broader potential of bacterial lipoproteins as a new class of biomaterials for nanotechnology applications.