Endocytosis behaviours of nanoparticles with helically decorated ligands

Abstract

In this work, the receptor‐mediated endocytosis of nanoparticles with helically decorated ligands was investigated by performing coarse‐grained molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that a helical distribution of ligands can generate a unique spinning stage during endocytosis in which the nanoparticle is internalized with precession. This precession behaviour is primarily caused by a lateral torque acting on the nanoparticle. Compared with nanoparticles that present uniformly distributed ligands, nanoparticles with helically decorated ligands present an enhanced endocytosis capacity. Additionally, a longer spin duration and larger precessional angle were obtained by decreasing the helical period of the ligands. Increasing the aspect ratio of the nanoparticles strengthens their capacity to take the spinning endocytosis pathway. The present study not only reveals the mechanism underlying a new endocytosis pathway of nanoparticles with helically structured surfaces but also provides valuable theoretical information for the design of novel drug delivery systems that primarily occur via cellular uptake. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Delivery of Vaccine Adjuvants and Antigens: Toward Multicomponent Vaccines

“…An important aspect in tailoring a liposomal system is the optimization of ligand density on the liposomes surface. Previous studies have shown that cellular uptake is increased with an increase of ligand density on the surface of particles. − However, issues such as aggregation and suppressed therapeutic effect may result from increasing ligand density beyond an optimum level …”