Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 15.6 Nevirapine nanocrystals functionalised with polysaccharide, serum albumin and PEG
tested by 2D PAGE to determine the nature of protein corona to predict targeting potential. The
adsorption pattern shown is for polysaccharide coated nevirapine nanocrystals. The in vitro protein
prediction confirmed the targeting results obtained by gamma scintigraphic analysis when tested in
rat (Shegokar, 2010 PhD Thesis)
Gref and co-workers determined the optimal PEG coat thickness and density, on
biodegradable nanoparticles, to reduce plasma protein adsorption, surface charge,
interaction with phagocytic cells, using 2D-PAGE technique [
85
]. They prepared
PEG-PLA nanoparticles (160-270 nm) from diblock PEG-PLA, PEG-PLGA and
PEG-PCL and from PEG-PLA: PLA blends. The plasma protein adsorption on the
PEG-coated particles (~400 cpm) was drastically reduced as compared to the
reference particles prepared from PLA (~1,600 cpm). Protein adsorption was
decreased when the MW of PEG was increased from 2,000 to 5,000. Increase in
the PEG MW above 5,000 showed no decrease in plasma protein adsorption. For
PEG content 0.5-2 %, the overall protein amount (~1,600 cpm) was reduced by half
as compared to the PLA reference particles (~800 cpm). The total amount of
adsorbed proteins detected on the particles coated with 5 % PEG was three times
lower than the nanoparticles with 2-5 %. PEG content. No considerable reduction
of protein adsorption was achieved when further increasing the PEG content. The
main proteins adsorbed on the nanoparticles were albumin, fibrinogen, IgG, Ig light
chains and the apolipoproteins apoA-I and apoE. 2D PAGE studies thus helped
elucidating the role of the type and amount of proteins adsorbed on the
nanoparticles after i.v administration, as a function of their core. These results
have been useful in the design of long circulating intravenously injectable biode-
gradable drug carriers endowed with protein resistant properties and low phago-
cytic uptake.
15.3.5 Size Separation Tool
Commercially available polystyrene particles with two different sizes (50 and
