Nanomaterials engineered for biomedical applications are designed to interact with and function in a living host environment. The overall goal is to design nanomaterials that are biocompatible, non-toxic, and that do not undergo biological transformations that result in loss of function and stability. Consequently, there is a critical need to understand, at the molecular and cellular level, nanoparticle biological interactions. More specifically, to study interactions with between nanoparticles and proteins. Thus far, studies have shown that nanoparticle stability is influenced by nanoparticle transformations that occur upon contact with biological environments such as saliva, blood, and media<i> in vivo</i>. For example, when nanoparticles are exposed to the bloodstream they interact with opsonin proteins that attach to the surface of the nanoparticles forming a protein corona. This protein-nanoparticle interaction then triggers the phagocytic system that recognizes the protein-nanoparticle species for clearance and then accumulates in the liver and spleen. Concomitantly, this can result in low targeting, uptake efficiency and systemic toxicity. The surface chemistry of the nanoparticles is the driving force behind the formation of the protein corona and aggregation resulting from interactions between nanoparticles and components of the biological media. To achieve stable systems, we must fill the gap in knowledge regarding our understanding of how the architectural design of nanomaterials influences nanoparticle-proteins, stability, and toxicity. Here we will describe the synthesis of hybrid lipid-coated nanomaterials with varying sizes, surface chemistry, and charge to determine how these features influence nanoparticle-protein interactions. We will present UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy studies of nanoparticle-protein interactions. Through these studies, we expect to harness knowledge that can help overcome translational barriers for their use as drug delivery, cellular labeling, and optical imaging agents.<br/><br/>

Investigating nanoparticle-protein interactions with hybrid lipid-coated gold nanoparticles

2019 Spring National Meeting

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