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Published on: May 10, 2020
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Cell membrane coating for reducing nanoparticle-induced inflammatory responses to scaffold constructs.
Zhiyuan Fan1, Peter Y Li1, Junjie Deng1,2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Summary
Coating poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) with red blood cell membranes significantly reduces short-term inflammation in biomaterial scaffolds. This cell membrane coating strategy offers a promising approach for improving scaffold biocompatibility in regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Immunology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Controlled therapeutic release from micro/nanoparticles is established.
- Incorporating nanoparticles into biomaterial scaffolds shows potential for tissue regeneration and immune modulation.
- However, nanoparticles can trigger inflammatory and foreign body responses, limiting scaffold applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the inflammatory effects of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) within alginate scaffolds.
- To evaluate the impact of red blood cell (RBC) membrane coating on PLGA NPs regarding foreign body responses.
- To assess the potential of cell membrane coating to mitigate inflammation in nanoparticle-loaded scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- Subcutaneous injection of alginate scaffolds containing PLGA NPs or RBC membrane-coated PLGA NPs into mice.
- Analysis of neutrophil and macrophage infiltration at 1 and 10 days post-injection.
- Measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokines to assess immune response.
Main Results:
- Uncoated PLGA NPs significantly increased neutrophil infiltration and pro-inflammatory cytokines 1 day post-injection.
- RBC membrane-coated PLGA NPs completely eliminated these acute inflammatory responses.
- By 10 days, both nanoparticle types showed no significant effect on immune cell infiltration, likely due to degradation or clearance.
Conclusions:
- Red blood cell membrane coating effectively eliminates short-term inflammation caused by PLGA nanoparticles in biomaterial scaffolds.
- This anti-inflammatory strategy, leveraging natural cell membrane biocompatibility, is crucial for enhancing scaffold performance.
- The findings support cell membrane-coated nanoparticles as a pivotal advancement for applications requiring stem/progenitor cell recruitment.

