Nanomedicine Delivery: does Protein Corona Route to the Target or off Road?

Abstract

Nanomedicine aims to find novel solutions for urgent biomedical needs. Despite this, one of the most challenging hurdles that nanomedicine faces is to successfully target therapeutic nanoparticles to cells of interest in vivo. As for any biomaterials, once in vivo, nanoparticles can interact with plasma biomolecules, forming new entities for which the name protein coronas (PCs) have been coined. The PC can influence the in vivo biological fate of a nanoparticle. Thus for guaranteeing the desired function of an engineered nanomaterial in vivo, it is crucial to dissect its PC in terms of formation and evolution within the body. In this contribution we will review the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sides of the PC, starting from the scientific aspects to the technological applications.

Keywords::

• blood
• drug delivery
• nano–bio interaction
• nanomedicine
• nanoparticle
• protein corona
• surface
• targeting

Acknowledgements

Francesca Bordonaro is acknowledged for the help with the graphical artwork. The authors would like to thank Debora Berti for fruitful discussions and suggestions.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Parts of this work were supported by the European Commission (project FutureNanoNeeds to WJP). D Maiolo, P Metrangolo and F Baldelli Bombelli acknowledge the financial support from Regione Lombardia (Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione – FAS 2007–2013). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Parts of this work were supported by the European Commission (project FutureNanoNeeds to WJP). D Maiolo, P Metrangolo and F Baldelli Bombelli acknowledge the financial support from Regione Lombardia (Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione – FAS 2007–2013). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.