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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Intra-lymph Node Injection of Biodegradable Polymer Particles
Published on: January 2, 2014
Surface engineered Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles for intracellular delivery: uptake and cytotoxicity--a
Gabriela Romero1, Irina Estrela-Lopis, Jie Zhou
1CIC BiomaGUNE, Paseo Miramón 182 Ed. Emp. C, San Sebastián, Spain, Institute of Biophysics and Medical Physics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China, and Laboratorio de Inmunología, Edificio Ciencias Experimentales, Campus Lagoas Marcosende, Universidad de Vigo, CP 36310, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
Abstract:
Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM) is used to study the cell internalization of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) fabricated by emulsion techniques with either poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) as surface stabilizers. HepG2 cells were exposed to PEI and BSA stabilized PLGA NPs. Spontaneous Confocal Raman Spectra taken in one and the same spot of exposed cells showed bands arising from the cellular environment as well as bands characteristic for PLGA, proving that the PLGA NPs have been internalized. It was found that PLGA NPs preferentially colocalize with lipid bodies. The results from Raman spectroscopy are compared with flow cytometry and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) data. The advantages of CRM as a label-free technique over flow cytometry and CLSM are discussed. Additionally, cell viability studies by means of quick cell counting solution and MTT tests in several cell lines show a generally low toxicity for both PEI and BSA stabilized PLGA NPs, with BSA stabilized PLGA NPs having an even lower toxicity than PEI stabilized.
