Anticancer trail-targeted plant virus particles

37:

• A method of treating cancer in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent comprising a potato virus X plant virus particle or virus-like particle (VLP) non-covalently conjugated to at least one tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL).

38-41. (canceled)

42:

• The method of claim 37, wherein PVX is non-covalently conjugated to TRAIL by coordination bonds between nickel-coordinated nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) modules displayed on PVX surface and a His-tag on TRAIL.

(canceled)

44:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the plant virus particle or VLP is loaded with or conjugated to one or more of an imaging agent, an anticancer agent, or a targeting agent.

45:

• The method of claim 44, wherein the targeting agent is a ligand for a tumor-associated receptor.

46:

• The method of claim 45, wherein the ligand is an EGFR ligand.

47:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the plant virus particle or VLP is PEGylated.

48:

• The method of claim 44, wherein the anticancer agent is a platinum-based anticancer agent.

49:

• The method of claim 48, wherein the platinum-based anticancer agent is phenanthriplatin.

50:

• The method of claim 44, wherein the anticancer agent is doxorubicin.

51:

• The method of claim 44, wherein the imaging agent is a fluorescent molecule for fluorescent imaging.

52:

• The method of claim 44, wherein the plant virus particle or VLP is loaded with or conjugated to an imaging agent, the method further comprising the step of imaging cancer tissue in the subject using an imaging device subsequent to administering the agent.

53:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, soft-tissue sarcoma, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, non small cell lung cancer, lymphoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and hepatocarcinoma.

54:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the cancer is triple negative breast cancer.

55:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the agent is administered together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

56:

• The method of claim 37, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the agent is the amount required to activate caspase-dependent apoptosis via TRAIL-DR4/5 receptor binding in cancer cells of the subject.

57:

• The method of claim 37, wherein TRAIL is bound to the plant virus particle or VLP on its N-terminus region providing display of its C-terminus region for binding with death receptors on cancer cells.

58:

• The method of claim 37, wherein at least 100 TRAIL ligands are conjugated to the plant virus particle or VLP.

59:

• The method of claim 37, wherein TRAIL comprises trimers of TRAIL monomers.