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Rapid Encapsulation of Reconstituted Cytoskeleton Inside Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: November 10, 2021
Tunable Encapsulation of Proteins within Charged Microgels.
Michael H Smith1, L Andrew Lyon
1School of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.
Macromolecules
|November 8, 2011
Summary
Responsive microgels efficiently encapsulate cytochrome c, a key protein for drug delivery. This study shows high protein loading in charged hydrogels, paving the way for advanced nanogel therapeutics.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Colloidal hydrogels are responsive materials with potential applications in drug delivery.
- Cytochrome c is a crucial protein in cellular respiration and a model for macromolecular therapeutics.
- Understanding protein-hydrogel interactions is vital for developing effective delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the binding and encapsulation of cytochrome c within pH and thermoresponsive colloidal hydrogels.
- To determine the factors influencing protein loading capacity, including hydrogel charge density and medium salinity.
- To explore the potential of these hydrogels for macromolecular therapeutic agent delivery.
Main Methods:
- Multiangle light scattering was employed to measure particle molar mass and root mean square radius.
- The loading capacity of microgels composed of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and acrylic acid (AAc) was assessed.
- The influence of pH, ionic strength, and hydrogel charge characteristics on encapsulation efficiency was evaluated.
Main Results:
- Loosely cross-linked microgels exhibited high loading capacity for cytochrome c.
- Encapsulation efficiency was significantly dependent on the hydrogel's charge characteristics and the medium's salinity.
- Microgels with 30 mol% AAc achieved high loading, exceeding 9.7 × 10^5 cytochrome c molecules per particle under optimal conditions.
- A ~20-fold change in density was observed for anionic microgels in the presence of oppositely charged proteins, indicating polymer condensation.
Conclusions:
- pH and thermoresponsive microgels demonstrate significant potential for high-capacity encapsulation of proteins like cytochrome c.
- The charge density of the hydrogel network and environmental salinity are critical parameters controlling protein loading.
- These findings represent a crucial step towards developing responsive nanogels and microgels for targeted delivery of macromolecular therapeutics.
