Biofabricated nanoparticle coating for liver-cell targeting

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanomedicine
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Biological systems utilize noncovalent interactions for functions like molecular recognition and self-assembly.
• Biological materials with self-assembly and recognition properties hold potential for nanomedicine applications.
• Concanavalin A (Con A) is a multifunctional polysaccharide-binding protein.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a functional nanoparticle coating using Con A and polysaccharides.
• To achieve self-assembly and layer-by-layer fabrication of the coating.
• To enable targeted drug delivery to specific organs, specifically the liver.

Main Methods:

• Layer-by-layer self-assembly of Con A and glycogen onto nanoparticles.
• Incorporation of a galactomannan targeting ligand into the coating.
• Utilizing Con A binding to mannose residues for assembly and galactose residues for ASGP-R targeting.
• Assessing nanoparticle uptake and drug release in vitro under low endosomal pH conditions.

Main Results:

• A self-assembled nanoparticle coating was successfully created.
• The galactomannan ligand targeted the liver-specific asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R).
• Binding to ASGP-R induced endocytic uptake, and low endosomal pH triggered drug release.
• In vitro studies demonstrated liver-cell-specific nanoparticle uptake and drug delivery.

Conclusions:

• Con A can be used for sugar-mediated and organ-specific targeting.
• Biologically based fabrication offers a route to functional materials for nanomedicine.
• The developed coating facilitates targeted drug delivery to liver cells.