Layer-by-layer nanoparticle outer polyelectrolyte impacts protein corona formation

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be engineered to achieve targeted delivery with strategies based on surface modifications. These include layer-by-layer (LbL) NPs, modular electrostatically assembled carriers with tunable surface properties altered by changes to the outer polyelectrolyte layer. Variations in these polymers dictate intracellular trafficking and biodistribution patterns. As NPs are administered, a layer of protein adsorbs to their surfaces, forming a protein corona that affects NP properties, alters biodistribution, and ultimately impacts therapeutic efficacy. We hypothesized that some differences in LbL NP performance are due, in part, to variations in the resulting protein coronas. To study them, we first optimized an ultrafiltration method to effectively isolate LbL NPs with their protein corona. Following incubation in conditioned media, anionic homopolypeptide outer layers, such as poly-l-aspartic acid (PLD) and poly-l-glutamic acid (PLE), and LbL NPs with the bioinert polymer poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) had the lowest amount of protein associated, lower than conventional PEG liposomes. While mass spectroscopy revealed changes in the protein composition among LbL NPs; albumin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, and apolipoprotein B were most abundant, with PLE and HA NPs presenting unique protein profiles. In vitro, pre-formed protein coronas reduced uptake in macrophages but increased uptake in ovarian cancer cells for certain LbL NPs, which were protein-dependent. In vivo, LbL NP outer layer influenced both serum half-life and biodistribution. Overall, this work highlights that LbL NPs can be designed to control protein corona formation and supports the idea that further understanding NP interactions with biological fluids is essential for designing clinically translatable NP platforms.