nn9b08752_si_001.pdf (2.7 MB)
Reversible Control of Protein Corona Formation on Gold Nanoparticles Using Host–Guest Interactions
journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-05, 17:44 authored by Jesús Mosquera, Isabel García, Malou Henriksen-Lacey, Miguel Martínez-Calvo, Mónica Dhanjani, José L. Mascareñas, Luis M. Liz-MarzánWhen
nanoparticles (NPs) are exposed to biological media, proteins are
adsorbed, forming a so-called protein corona (PC). This cloud of protein
aggregates hampers the targeting and transport capabilities of the
NPs, thereby compromising their biomedical applications. Therefore,
there is a high interest in the development of technologies that allow
control over PC formation, as this would provide a handle to manipulate
NPs in biological fluids. We present a strategy that enables the reversible
disruption of the PC using external stimuli, thereby allowing a precise
regulation of NP cellular uptake. The approach, demonstrated for gold
nanoparticles (AuNPs), is based on a biorthogonal, supramolecular
host–guest interactions between an anionic dye bound to the
AuNP surface and a positively charged macromolecular cage. This supramolecular
complex effectively behaves as a zwitterionic NP ligand, which is
able not only to prevent PC formation but also to disrupt a previously
formed hard corona. With this supramolecular stimulus, the cellular
internalization of AuNPs can be enhanced by up to 30-fold in some
cases, and even NP cellular uptake in phagocytic cells can be regulated.
Additionally, we demonstrate that the conditional cell uptake of purposely
designed gold nanorods can be used to selectively enhance photothermal
cell death.