Multiplexed Quantitative Screening of the Cellular Uptake of Proteins Delivered by Polymeric Nanocarriers

Proteins are important therapeutic agents, yet better methods are needed to deliver them inside of cells. Polymeric nanocarriers (PNCs) are versatile materials for this purpose, and to enhance their development, it is necessary to quantify protein delivery efficiency into cells by numerous PNC designs at the same time. Current strategies for screening PNC systems are qualitative and mostly serial. Here, we describe a multiplexed approach that uses metal-coded mass tags (MMTs) to quantify the delivery of protein into cells by several different PNC designs simultaneously. Our approach will facilitate the development of more potent delivery systems by improving precision and reducing costs, effort, and time.