Protein Corona as a Result of Interaction of Protein Molecules with Inorganic Nanoparticles

Currently, there is a growing interest in biomedical research in the use of inorganic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery, as biosensors, and in theranostic applications. This review examines the interaction of inorganic nanoparticles with protein molecules depending on the chemical nature, size, and surface charge of the nanoparticles. The effect of protein and nanoparticle concentration, as well as their incubation time, is analyzed. The work focuses on the influence of parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and temperature on the interaction of nanoparticles with protein molecules. The following dependencies were studied in detail: the thickness of the protein corona as a function of nanoparticle size; the size of nanoparticles after interaction with protein as a function of protein and nanoparticle concentration; the distribution of zeta potentials in colloids of nanoparticles, proteins, and their mixtures. It has been shown that proteins and nanoparticles can influence each other's physicochemical properties. This can lead to the emergence of new biological properties in the system. Therefore, the adsorption of proteins onto nanoparticle surfaces can induce conformational changes. The probability of changing the protein structure increases when a covalent bond is formed between the nanoparticle and the protein molecule. Studies demonstrate that protein structure remains more stable with spherical nanoparticles than with rod-shaped or other high-curvature nanostructures. The results presented in the review demonstrate the possibility of adapting physiological responses to nanomaterials by changing the chemical composition of the surface of nanoparticles and their size and charge.