Regulating protein corona on nanovesicles by glycosylated polyhydroxy polymer modification for efficient drug delivery

Abstract

The dynamic protein corona formed on nanocarriers has been revealed to strongly affect their in vivo behaviors. Precisely manipulating the formation of protein corona on nanocarriers may provide an alternative impetus for specific drug delivery. Herein, we explore the role of glycosylated polyhydroxy polymer-modified nanovesicles (CP-LVs) with different amino/hydroxyl ratios in protein corona formation and evolution. CP-LVs with an amino/hydroxyl ratio of approximately 0.4 (CP₁-LVs) are found to efficiently suppress immunoglobulin adsorption in blood and livers, resulting in prolonged circulation. Moreover, CP₁-LVs adsorb abundant tumor distinctive proteins, such as CD44 and osteopontin in tumor interstitial fluids, mediating selective tumor cell internalization. The proteins corona transformation specific to the environment appears to be affected by the electrostatic interaction between CP-LVs and proteins with diverse isoelectric points. Benefiting from surface modification-mediated protein corona regulation, paclitaxel-loaded CP₁-LVs demonstrate superior antitumor efficacy to PEGylated liposomes. Our work offers a perspective on rational surface-design of nanocarriers to modulate the protein corona formation for efficient drug delivery.