Two different protein corona formation modes on Soluplus® nanomicelles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Soluplus® nanomicelles are effective for drug delivery due to high loading capacity and solubility enhancement.
• In vivo administration leads to protein corona formation, negatively impacting nanomicelle performance.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the protein corona formation process and influencing factors for Soluplus® nanomicelles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the protein corona formation process on Soluplus® nanomicelles using model proteins.
• To elucidate the impact factors, specifically protein properties, on corona formation modes.
• To understand how protein corona affects nanomicelle characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Selected Bovine serum albumin (BSA), Lysozyme (Lyso), and Bovine hemoglobin (BHb) as model proteins.
• Analyzed protein amino acid residue polarity to determine microenvironment distribution.
• Investigated protein corona formation modes (surface adsorption vs. insertion) based on protein hydrophilicity.

Main Results:

• Identified two distinct protein corona formation modes: surface adsorption for hydrophilic proteins (BSA, Lyso) and insertion for hydrophobic proteins (BHb).
• Demonstrated that protein hydrophilicity dictates the corona formation mechanism.
• Observed significant alterations in nanomicelle size and surface chemistry post-protein corona formation.

Conclusions:

• Protein corona formation on Soluplus® nanomicelles is governed by protein hydrophilicity, leading to different interaction modes.
• Understanding these modes is crucial for optimizing nanomicelle design for in vivo applications.
• This research provides a novel framework for designing and utilizing Soluplus® nanomicelles in drug delivery systems.