Poly(ethylene glycol)-Based Surfactant Reduces the Conformational Change of Adsorbed Proteins on Nanoparticles

Abstract

When in contact with a biological medium, the surfaces of nanoparticles are usually covered by proteins. In this regard, it was found that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) promotes the "stealth effect". This implies a reduction of unspecific protein adsorption and cellular uptake. Although information about the PEG−protein interaction was reported, more accurate and sophisticated structure and dynamics analyses are needed to understand the interaction processes in detail. This work studies the PEG−protein interaction using model nanoparticles stabilized either by the PEG-based surfactant Lutensol AT50 or sodium dodecyl sulfate. The interaction with human serum albumin was studied using neutron scattering techniques. The parameters obtained by small-angle neutron scattering yielded information about the adsorbed protein layer thickness. Protein structure changes were detected via differential scanning fluorimetry and elastic neutron scattering. This combination gives a better insight into the PEG−protein interaction, contributing to the design of nanomaterials for medical applications.

Surface Physicochemical Properties of Polyethylene Glycol-Containing Polymer Nano Systems

“…In the past decades, polyethylene glycol (PEG)ontaining polymer nano delivery systems were rapidly developed and they demonstrated great potential such as very low cytotoxicity, [1][2] hydrophilic shielding effect, [3] enhanced uptake, [4] improved serum compatibility, [5] as well as immune-compatibility. [6] Notably, the properties of PEG-containing nano delivery systems largely depend on the surface physicochemical properties/parameters including molecular (critical) packing parameter, [7][8] surface PEG conformation, [9] diffusion coefficient, [10] and so on, which directly influence the cytotoxicity, drug loading/ releasing, body fluid clearance, circulation time, as well as bioavailability.…”