Patent ID: 7691414

Claim:
A nanoscale particle comprising a non-naturally occurring amphipathic membrane scaffold protein having at least one alpha helix, and at least one additional hydrophobic or partially hydrophobic protein, and further comprising a phospholipid or a mixture of phospholipids, wherein said non-naturally occurring membrane scaffold protein, in an aqueous environment, self-assembles in the presence of phospholipids or in the presence of a mixture of phospholipids, into a nanoscale particle between 5 nm and 500 nm in diameter, wherein said membrane scaffold protein is a derivative or a truncated form of human apolipoprotein A1, is amphipathic and wherein said membrane scaffold protein forms at least one alpha helix, and lacks the N-terminal globular domain of in human apolipoprotein A1 (amino acids 8-50 of SEQ ID NO:2), and wherein the additional hydrophobic or partially hydrophobic protein is covalently linked to said membrane scaffold protein.