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- AF-FFF (1)
- Asymetrical flow field-flow fractionation (1)
- Characterization (1)
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- Cryo-TEM (1)
- DLS (1)
- Dynamic light scattering (1)
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- Nanomaterial characterization (1)
The protein corona, which forms on the nanoparticle's surface in most biological media, determines the nanoparticles physicochemical characteristics. The formation of the protein corona has a significant impact on the biodistribution and clearance of nanoparticles in vivo. Therefore, the ability to influence the formation of the protein corona is essential to most biomedical applications, including drug delivery and imaging. In this study, we investigate the protein adsorption on nanoparticles with a hydrodynamic radius of 30 nm and a coating of thermoresponsive poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) in serum. Using multiangle dynamic light scattering (DLS) we demonstrate that heating of the nanoparticles above their phase separation temperature induces the formation of agglomerates, with a hydrodynamic radius of 1 µm. In serum, noticeably stronger agglomeration occurs at lower temperatures compared to serum-free conditions. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) revealed a high packing density of agglomerates when serum was not present. In contrast, in the presence of serum, agglomerated nanoparticles were loosely packed, indicating that proteins are intercalated between them. Moreover, an increase in protein content is observed upon heating, confirming that protein adsorption is induced by the alteration of the surface during phase separation. After cooling and switching the surface back, most of the agglomerates were dissolved and the main fraction returned to the original size of approximately 30 nm as shown by asymmetrical flow-field flow fractionation (AF-FFF) and DLS. Furthermore, the amounts of adsorbed proteins are similar before and after heating the nanoparticles to above their phase-separation temperature. Overall, our results demonstrate that the thermoresponsivity of the polymer coating enables turning the corona formation on nanoparticles on and off in situ. As the local heating of body areas can be easily done in vivo, the thermoresponsive coating could potentially be used to induce the agglomeration of nanoparticles and proteins and the accumulation of nanoparticles in a targeted body region.
Due to the recent widespread application of nanomaterials to biological systems, a careful consideration of their physiological impact is required. This demands an understanding of the complex processes at the bio–nano interface. Therefore, a comprehensive and accurate characterization of the material under physiological conditions is crucial to correlate the observed biological impact with defined colloidal properties. As promising candidates for biomedical applications, two SiO2-based nanomaterial systems were chosen for extensive size characterization to investigate the agglomeration behavior under physiological conditions. To combine the benefits of different characterization techniques and to compensate for their respective drawbacks, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation were applied. The investigated particle systems were (i) negatively charged silica particles and (ii) poly(organosiloxane) particles offering variable surface modification opportunities (positively charged, polymer coated). It is shown that the surface properties primarily determine the agglomeration state of the particles and therefore their effective size, especially under physiological conditions. Thus, the biological identity of a nanomaterial is clearly influenced by differentiating surface properties.