Polymer cloaking modulates the carbon nanotube protein corona and delivery into cancer cells Journal Article


Authors: Budhathoki-Uprety, J.; Harvey, J. D.; Isaac, E.; Williams, R. M.; Galassi, T. V.; Langenbacher, R. E.; Heller, D. A.
Article Title: Polymer cloaking modulates the carbon nanotube protein corona and delivery into cancer cells
Abstract: Carbon nanotube-based molecular probes, imaging agents, and biosensors in cells and in vivo continue to garner interest as investigational tools and clinical devices due to their unique photophysical properties. Surface chemistry modulation of nanotubes plays a critical role in determining stability and interaction with biological systems both in vitro and in vivo. Among the many parameters that influence the biological fate of nanomaterials, surface charge is particularly influential due to direct electrostatic interactions with components of the cell membrane as well as proteins in the serum, which coat the nanoparticle surface in a protein corona and alter nanoparticle-cell interactions. Here, we modulated functional moieties on a helical polycarbodIImide polymer backbone that non-covalently suspended the nanotubes in aqueous media. By derivatizing the polymer with either primary amine or carboxylic acid side chains, we obtained nanotube complexes that present net surface charges of opposite polarity at physiological pH. Using these materials, we found that the uptake of carbon nanotubes in these cells is highly dependent on charge, with cationic nanotubes efficiently internalized into cells compared to the anionic nanotubes. Furthermore, we found that serum proteins drastically influenced cell uptake of the anionic nanotubes, while the effect was not prominent for the cationic nanotubes. Our findings have implications for improved engineering of drug delivery devices, molecular probes, and biosensors. © 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Keywords: proteins; cytology; ph; nanoparticles; probes; body fluids; cells; polymers; carbon nanotubes; nanotubes; molecular probes; photophysical properties; surface chemistry; physiological ph; biosensors; yarn; clinical devices; drug delivery devices; functional moieties; nanoparticle surface; polymer backbones
Journal Title: Journal of Materials Chemistry B
Volume: 5
Issue: 32
ISSN: 2050-750X
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry  
Date Published: 2017-08-28
Start Page: 6637
End Page: 6644
Language: English
DOI: 10.1039/c7tb00695k
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 5 September 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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