Effects of Surface Chemistry Modification using Zwitterionic Coatings on the Surface of Silica Nanoparticles on Prevention of Protein Corona: A Test Study

Objective(s): The purpose of this study was investigation of the protein corona formation on the surface of zwitterionic nanoparticles when they exposed to bio-fluid like human plasma.Methods: Silica nanoparticles with zwitterionic surface coating, cysteine and sulfobetaine were employed as zwitterionic ligands, were synthesized and characterized in terms of physicochemical properties. To probe protein corona formation, synthesized nanoparticles were incubated at 37 °C for 1h in human plasma solutions (10 and 55% (v/v)).Results: Our results show no significant changes in size and zeta potential of nanoparticles after treatment with human plasma and elimination of loosely attached proteins. The size of zwitterionic nanoparticles after incubation with human plasma remained around 100 nm and their zeta potential was near zero. The results from gel-electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of nanoparticles after incubation with plasma proved that zwitterionic nanoparticles are non-interacting with proteins.Conclusions: Our observations confirm the hypothesis that zwitterionic surface modified nanoparticles could provide the potential to regulate the interaction of the nanomaterials with biological systems and successfully overcome the protein corona issue in the field of nanomedicine.