Effect of protein corona on drug release behavior of PLGA nanoparticles.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles are highly attractive for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and potential for controlled release and targeting. Despite these outstanding properties, challenges remain for clinical translation as nanomedicines. One significant factor to address is highlighting the protein corona structure and its effect on the drug release behavior.

Design of Biopolymer-Coated Gold Nanorods as Biorelevant Photothermal Agents.

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are emerging metallic nanoparticles utilized to generate heat for photothermal therapy (PTT) in cancer. The tunable plasmonic properties of AuNRs make them a remarkable candidate for hyperthermia. However, the cytotoxicity of AuNRs limits its biological applicability due to the existence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the surface as a common surfactant.

Polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles as potential lipophilic anticancer drug carriers.

Nanocarrier systems are widely used for drug delivery applications, but limitations such as the use of synthetic surfactants, leakage of toxic drugs, and a poor encapsulation capacity remain as challenges. We present a new hybrid nanocarrier system that utilizes natural materials to overcome these limitations and improve the safety and efficacy of drug delivery. The system comprises a biopolymeric shell and a lipid core, encapsulating the lipophilic anticancer drug paclitaxel.

Antibody-Functionalized Carnauba Wax Nanoparticles to Target Breast Cancer Cells.

Development of safer nanomedicines for drug delivery applications requires immense efforts to improve clinical outcomes. Targeting a specific cell, biocompatibility and biodegradability are vital properties of a nanoparticle to fulfill the safety criteria in medical applications. Herein, we fabricate antibody-functionalized carnauba wax nanoparticles encapsulated a hydrophobic drug mimetic, which is potentially interesting for clinical use due to the inert and nontoxic properties of natural waxes.

Temperature Sensing in Cells Using Polymeric Upconversion Nanocapsules.

Monitoring local temperature inside cells is crucial when interpreting biological activities as enhanced cellular metabolism leads to higher heat production and is commonly correlated with the presence of diseases such as cancer. In this study, we report on polymeric upconversion nanocapsules for potential use as local nanothermometers in cells by exploiting the temperature dependence of the triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion phenomenon. Nanocapsules synthesized by the miniemulsion solvent evaporation technique are composed of a polymer shell and a liquid core of rice bran oil, hosting triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion active dyes as sensitizer and emitter molecules.

Toward Functional Synthetic Cells: In-Depth Study of Nanoparticle and Enzyme Diffusion through a Cross-Linked Polymersome Membrane.

Understanding the diffusion of nanoparticles through permeable membranes in cell mimics paves the way for the construction of more sophisticated synthetic protocells with control over the exchange of nanoparticles or biomacromolecules between different compartments. Nanoparticles postloading by swollen pH switchable polymersomes is investigated and nanoparticles locations at or within polymersome membrane and polymersome lumen are precisely determined. Validation of transmembrane diffusion properties is performed based on nanoparticles of different origin-gold, glycopolymer protein mimics, and the enzymes myoglobin and esterase-with dimensions between 5 and 15 nm.

Modular Approach for the Design of Smart Polymeric Nanocapsules.

The formation of nanocapsules from a modular perspective for self-assembled nanocapsules, so-called polymersomes, and nanocapsules with a covalently formed shell are discussed in this review. It is shown that there are common and comparable ways for the selective and controlled release of payloads for stimuli-responsive systems and nanocapsule functionalization in order to use them for drug delivery and diagnostic applications.

Dynamic Docking and Undocking Processes Addressing Selectively the Outside and Inside of Polymersomes.

Increasing complexity and diversity of polymersomes and their compartments is a key issue for mimicking cellular functions and protocells. Thus, new challenges arise in terms of achieving tunable membrane permeability and combining it with control over the membrane diffusion process, and thus enabling a localized and dynamic control of functionality and docking possibilities within or on the surface of polymeric compartments. This study reports the concept of polymersomes with pH-tunable membrane permeability for controlling sequential docking and undocking processes of small molecules and nanometer-sized protein mimics selectively on the inside and outside of the polymersome membrane as a further step toward the design of intelligent multifunctional compartments for use in synthetic biology and as protocells.

Immobilized Multifunctional Polymersomes on Solid Surfaces: Infrared Light-Induced Selective Photochemical Reactions, pH Responsive Behavior, and Probing Mechanical Properties under Liquid Phase.

Fixing polymersomes onto surfaces is in high demand not only for the characterization with advanced microscopy techniques but also for designing specific compartments in microsystem devices in the scope of nanobiotechnology. For this purpose, this study reports the immobilization of multifunctional, responsive, and photo-cross-linked polymersomes on solid substrates by utilizing strong adamantane-β-cyclodextrin host-guest interactions. To reduce nonspecific binding and retain better spherical shape, the level of attractive forces acting on the immobilized polymersomes was tuned through poly(ethylene glycol) passivation as well as decreased β-cyclodextrin content on the corresponding substrates.