Protein adsorption is required for stealth effect of poly(ethylene glycol)- and poly(phosphoester)-coated nanocarriers

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Abstract

The current gold standard to reduce non-specific cellular uptake of drug delivery vehicles is by covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). It is thought that PEG can reduce protein adsorption and thereby confer a stealth effect. Here, we show that polystyrene nanocarriers that have been modified with PEG or poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEEP) and exposed to plasma proteins exhibit a low cellular uptake, whereas those not exposed to plasma proteins show high non-specific uptake. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that exposed nanocarriers formed a protein corona that contains an abundance of clusterin proteins (also known as apolipoprotein J). When the polymer-modified nanocarriers were incubated with clusterin, non-specific cellular uptake could be reduced. Our results show that in addition to reducing protein adsorption, PEG, and now PEEPs, can affect the composition of the protein corona that forms around nanocarriers, and the presence of distinct proteins is necessary to prevent non-specific cellular uptake.

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Understanding and controlling the interaction of nanomaterials with proteins in a physiological environment.

Carl D Walkey, Warren C W Chan (2012)

Nanomaterials hold promise as multifunctional diagnostic and therapeutic agents. However, the effective application of nanomaterials is hampered by limited understanding and control over their interactions with complex biological systems. When a nanomaterial enters a physiological environment, it rapidly adsorbs proteins forming what is known as the protein 'corona'. The protein corona alters the size and interfacial composition of a nanomaterial, giving it a biological identity that is distinct from its synthetic identity. The biological identity determines the physiological response including signalling, kinetics, transport, accumulation, and toxicity. The structure and composition of the protein corona depends on the synthetic identity of the nanomaterial (size, shape, and composition), the nature of the physiological environment (blood, interstitial fluid, cell cytoplasm, etc.), and the duration of exposure. In this critical review, we discuss the formation of the protein corona, its structure and composition, and its influence on the physiological response. We also present an 'adsorbome' of 125 plasma proteins that are known to associate with nanomaterials. We further describe how the protein corona is related to the synthetic identity of a nanomaterial, and highlight efforts to control protein-nanomaterial interactions. We conclude by discussing gaps in the understanding of protein-nanomaterial interactions along with strategies to fill them (167 references).

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Minimal "Self" peptides that inhibit phagocytic clearance and enhance delivery of nanoparticles.

P Rodriguez, T Harada, D. Christian … (2013)

Foreign particles and cells are cleared from the body by phagocytes that must also recognize and avoid clearance of "self" cells. The membrane protein CD47 is reportedly a "marker of self" in mice that impedes phagocytosis of self by signaling through the phagocyte receptor CD172a. Minimal "Self" peptides were computationally designed from human CD47 and then synthesized and attached to virus-size particles for intravenous injection into mice that express a CD172a variant compatible with hCD47. Self peptides delay macrophage-mediated clearance of nanoparticles, which promotes persistent circulation that enhances dye and drug delivery to tumors. Self-peptide affinity for CD172a is near the optimum measured for human CD172a variants, and Self peptide also potently inhibits nanoparticle uptake mediated by the contractile cytoskeleton. The reductionist approach reveals the importance of human Self peptides and their utility in enhancing drug delivery and imaging.

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Nanoparticle size is a critical physicochemical determinant of the human blood plasma corona: a comprehensive quantitative proteomic analysis.

Stefan Tenzer, Dominic Docter, Susanne Rosfa … (2011)

In biological fluids, proteins associate with nanoparticles, leading to a protein "corona" defining the biological identity of the particle. However, a comprehensive knowledge of particle-guided protein fingerprints and their dependence on nanomaterial properties is incomplete. We studied the long-lived ("hard") blood plasma derived corona on monodispersed amorphous silica nanoparticles differing in size (20, 30, and 100 nm). Employing label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting the composition of the protein corona was analyzed not only qualitatively but also quantitatively. Detected proteins were bioinformatically classified according to their physicochemical and biological properties. Binding of the 125 identified proteins did not simply reflect their relative abundance in the plasma but revealed an enrichment of specific lipoproteins as well as proteins involved in coagulation and the complement pathway. In contrast, immunoglobulins and acute phase response proteins displayed a lower affinity for the particles. Protein decoration of the negatively charged particles did not correlate with protein size or charge, demonstrating that electrostatic effects alone are not the major driving force regulating the nanoparticle-protein interaction. Remarkably, even differences in particle size of only 10 nm significantly determined the nanoparticle corona, although no clear correlation with particle surface volume, protein size, or charge was evident. Particle size quantitatively influenced the particle's decoration with 37% of all identified proteins, including (patho)biologically relevant candidates. We demonstrate the complexity of the plasma corona and its still unresolved physicochemical regulation, which need to be considered in nanobioscience in the future. © 2011 American Chemical Society