Zwitterionic Modification of Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Reduced Protein Corona Formation

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomaterials Science
• Radiochemistry

Background:

• Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are widely used in biomedical applications.
• Protein corona formation on nanoparticles can hinder their in vivo performance.
• Developing nanoparticles with enhanced biocompatibility and reduced non-specific protein adsorption is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize zwitterionic nanoparticles (ZW-NPs) with improved stealth properties.
• To evaluate the resistance of ZW-NPs to serum protein adsorption.
• To assess the cytotoxicity and functionalization potential of ZW-NPs for multimodal applications.

Main Methods:

• Surface modification of polyacrylic-acid-coated SPIONs with sulfobetaines or 3-(diethylamino)propylamine.
• Atomic force microscopy, SDS-PAGE, and proteomics analysis to study protein corona formation.
• Cell viability assays using A431 and HEK293 cell lines.
• Functionalization with fluorescent (Cy5) and radioactive (⁶⁴Cu-dmptacn) labels.

Main Results:

• The synthesized ZW-NPs demonstrated significant resistance to serum protein corona formation in vitro.
• ZW-NPs exhibited low cytotoxicity towards tested human cell lines.
• Successful functionalization with both fluorescent and radioactive moieties was achieved.
• The nanoparticles possess unreacted carboxylic acid groups for further modification.

Conclusions:

• ZW-NPs offer a promising platform for developing advanced biomedical agents.
• The "stealth" properties of ZW-NPs enhance their potential for in vivo applications.
• These nanoparticles are suitable for creating multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic agents.