Understanding the relevance of protein corona in nanoparticle-based therapeutics and diagnostics
- PMID: 35515780
- PMCID: PMC9055466
- DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05241h
Understanding the relevance of protein corona in nanoparticle-based therapeutics and diagnostics
Abstract
Over the past few decades, nanoparticle-based therapeutic and diagnostic systems have gained immense recognition. A relative improvement in the status of the global cancer burden has been successful due to the advent of nanoparticle-based formulations. However, exposure of nanoparticles (NPs) to a real-time biological media alters its native identity due to the formation of the biomolecular corona. Such biological interactions hinder the efficiency of the NPs system. The parameters that govern such intricate interaction are generally overlooked while designing nano drugs and delivery systems (nano-DDS). Fabricating nano-DDS with prolonged circulation time, enhanced drug-loading, and release capacity along with efficient clearance, remain the primary concerns associated with cancer therapeutics. This present review firstly aims to summarize the critical aspects that influence protein coronation on therapeutic nanoparticles designed for anti-cancer therapy. The role of protein corona in modifying the overall pharmacodynamics of the nanoparticle-based DDS has been discussed. Further, the studies and patents that extend the concept of protein corona into diagnostics have been elaborated. An understanding of the pros and cons associated with protein coronation would not only help us gain better insights into the fabrication of effective anti-cancer drug-delivery systems but also improve the shortcomings related to the clinical translation of these nanotherapeutics.
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Conflict of interest statement
There are no conflicts to declare.
Figures







Similar articles
-
Nano-Bio Interactions in Cancer: From Therapeutics Delivery to Early Detection.Acc Chem Res. 2021 Jan 19;54(2):291-301. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00413. Epub 2020 Nov 12. Acc Chem Res. 2021. PMID: 33180454
-
The Fate of Nanoparticles In Vivo and the Strategy of Designing Stealth Nanoparticle for Drug Delivery.Curr Drug Targets. 2021;22(8):922-946. doi: 10.2174/1389450122666210118105122. Curr Drug Targets. 2021. PMID: 33461465 Review.
-
The protein corona and its effects on nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems.Acta Biomater. 2021 Jul 15;129:57-72. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.05.019. Epub 2021 May 25. Acta Biomater. 2021. PMID: 34048973 Review.
-
Research progress and application opportunities of nanoparticle-protein corona complexes.Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Jul;139:111541. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111541. Epub 2021 Apr 10. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021. PMID: 33848776 Review.
-
Protein corona, understanding the nanoparticle-protein interactions and future perspectives: A critical review.Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Feb 1;169:290-301. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.12.108. Epub 2020 Dec 21. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021. PMID: 33340622 Review.
Cited by
-
Deciphering the Lipid-Random Copolymer Interactions and Encoding Their Properties to Design a Hybrid System.Langmuir. 2024 Jun 11;40(23):11936-11946. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00278. Epub 2024 May 26. Langmuir. 2024. PMID: 38797979 Free PMC article.
-
Fluorescence Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Detection Is Improved by Using Cationic Dendronized Hyperbranched Polymer.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 17;22(12):6501. doi: 10.3390/ijms22126501. Int J Mol Sci. 2021. PMID: 34204408 Free PMC article.
-
Interactions Between Silver Nanoparticles and Culture Medium Biomolecules with Dose and Time Dependencies.J Fluoresc. 2025 Feb;35(2):835-854. doi: 10.1007/s10895-023-03564-x. Epub 2024 Jan 6. J Fluoresc. 2025. PMID: 38183590
-
Sustainable Doped Carbon Dots as Antioxidant and Nanocarrier for Therapeutic Cargos.J Fluoresc. 2025 Jul;35(7):5629-5643. doi: 10.1007/s10895-024-03940-1. Epub 2024 Sep 25. J Fluoresc. 2025. PMID: 39320634
-
Impact of Protein Corona on the Biological Identity of Nanomedicine: Understanding the Fate of Nanomaterials in the Biological Milieu.Biomedicines. 2021 Oct 19;9(10):1496. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9101496. Biomedicines. 2021. PMID: 34680613 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Nguyen K. T. J. Nanomed. Nanotechnol. 2011;2:103e.
-
- Khan I. Saeed K. Khan I. Arab. J. Chem. 2017;12:908–931. doi: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2017.05.011. - DOI
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous