Trends in Biotechnology
OpinionExploring ‘new’ bioactivities of polymers at the nano–bio interface
Section snippets
Biological systems: elegant assemblies of polymeric nanostructures
If we could see all biological events taking place at the nano scale, we would recognise biological systems as natural assemblies of polymeric nanomaterials. Cellular components consist of biopolymers, such as proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and their complexes, with sizes ranging from a few to hundreds of nanometres. Cells function by way of various interactions between these nanostructures, typified by protein binding events, such as receptors recognising ligands, integrins adhering
Polymers are activated at the nano–bio interface: cases and inspirations
Polymers should have several essential features in order to gain various bioactivities at the nano–bio interface. The polymers must be sufficiently large, usually measuring between tens of nanometres and a few micrometres. Additionally, the biological effects exhibited by the polymers should not be present or be much weaker in their monomers or oligomers. The monomers or oligomers may have no activity at all or other activities that disappear after polymerisation. The polymers could interact
Biomolecular coronas: redefining polymer functions in the body
In addition to the ‘intrinsic’ activities of polymers, the impact of biological coronas, which confer ‘extrinsic’ functions to polymers, is emerging as significant in the future development of polymer drugs 40, 41. Once a nanosized polymer particle enters the body, tens or even hundreds of biomolecules are rapidly absorbed onto its surface to form a layer called the ‘corona’. These corona molecules may cover the whole surface of the particle, and their own properties override the ‘intrinsic’
Concluding remarks and future perspectives
Polymers, in particular the non-tissue-derived ones, can exhibit specific, diverse, and largely underestimated bioactivities at the nano–bio interface. Polymers of appropriate size have proven efficient in triggering biological responses through direct or synergistic interactions with cellular receptors, cytokines, or growth factors. In such processes, both intrinsic characteristics (such as size and chemistry) and extrinsic effects (such as those of the corona) are vital in dictating the type
Acknowledgements
C.W. acknowledges funding grants from the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT 048/2013/A2) and the University of Macau (MRG 006/WCM/2014/ICMS).
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2020, Journal of Colloid and Interface ScienceCitation Excerpt :For most applications, the biomolecular corona is undesirable as it leads to loss of targeting functions [6,13], rapid recognition and clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) [14] and remarkable impact on the release profile of drug-loaded formulations [7]. However, the more we understanding the more we realize that controlling the corona formations can have benefits regarding the levels of cytotoxicity of nanomaterials [15,16], and in the loading-triggered delivery of active agents [17]. Therefore, a better understanding of the processes occurring at the interface between nanomaterials and biological systems, also known as nanobiointerface, is well accepted to be needed [18].
Producing anti-inflammatory macrophages by nanoparticle-triggered clustering of mannose receptors
2018, BiomaterialsCitation Excerpt :In response to external signals, PRR can assemble into nanoscale structural complexes (‘nanoclusters’) [14]. This assembly is often required for a receptor to trigger intracellular signals, and may even elicit a ‘new’ activity that this receptor does not normally generate [15]. For example, dectin-1 (also a C-type lectin and PRR) could recognise and bind its classic ligand β-glucans that are in the soluble form – but this binding does not trigger pro-inflammatory signalling [16,17].
Translating Current Bioanalytical Techniques for Studying Corona Activity
2018, Trends in BiotechnologyCitation Excerpt :Meanwhile, corona formation can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes, as demonstrated by the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to hepatic stellate cells reported by one study [27]. Hence, analysing corona activities on specific nanomaterials is essential to understanding how nanomaterials will behave in the body and, consequently, predicting and controlling their fate in clinical applications [28,29]. Reliable technologies are needed to answer three fundamental questions concerning corona activity (Box 2).
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