Nanoparticles (NPs) administered in the human body will undergo rapid surface modification upon contact with biological fluids driven by their interfacial interaction with a diverse range of biomolecules. Such spontaneous self-assembly and adsorption of proteins and other biomolecules onto the NP surface constitute what is commonly known as the protein or biomolecule corona. This surface biotransformation of the NPs modulates their biological interactions and impact on physiological systems and can influence their overall pharmacological profile. Here, we comment on how the initially considered ‘nuisance’ of the in vivo corona formation can now be considered a nanoparticle engineering tool for biomedical use, such as in endogenous tissue targeting, personalized biomarker discovery and immunomodulation.
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M.M. discloses that (i) he is a co-founder and director of the Academic Parity Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing academic discrimination, violence and incivility; (ii) he is a co-founder of Targets’ Tip; and (iii) he receives royalties/honoraria for his published books, plenary lectures and licensed patent. M.H. and K.K. are inventors of granted patents describing the use of nanoparticle corona.
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Hadjidemetriou, M., Mahmoudi, M. & Kostarelos, K. In vivo biomolecule corona and the transformation of a foe into an ally for nanomedicine. Nat Rev Mater 9, 219–222 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-024-00658-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-024-00658-1
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