Nanoparticular Carriers As Objects to Study Intentional and Unintentional Bioconjugation

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Bioconjugation Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Synthetic nanoparticles bridge the gap between soluble polymers and solid surfaces for biological interactions.
• Their distinct functionalization allows for independent separation and study after biological fluid interaction.
• Patchy functionalization on nanoparticles mimics macroscopic surfaces, enabling targeted studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bioconjugation strategies for synthetic nanoparticles.
• To focus on unintentional protein corona formation and intentional covalent chemistry.
• To explore the preparation of protein corona-free nanoparticles for specific bioconjugation studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on nanoparticle bioconjugation.
• Analysis of protein corona formation via unspecific adsorption.
• Investigation of intentional bioconjugation using covalent chemistry, including bioorthogonal reactions.

Main Results:

• Unspecific protein adsorption forms an unintentional protein corona on nanoparticles.
• Intentional covalent bioconjugation can be achieved using various chemical strategies.
• Preparation of nanoparticles devoid of protein corona is crucial for targeted ligand studies.
• Bioorthogonal functional groups enable efficient in vivo ligation after administration.

Conclusions:

• Synthetic nanoparticles are versatile platforms for studying biological ligations.
• Controlling nanoparticle surface interactions, including protein corona formation, is key.
• Intentional bioconjugation, especially using bioorthogonal chemistry, holds promise for in vivo applications.