Nanoparticle–Protein Corona

Book excerpt: Nanoparticles have numerous biomedical applications including drug delivery, bone implants and imaging. A protein corona is formed when proteins existing in a biological system cover the nanoparticle surface. The formation of a nanoparticle–protein corona, changes the behaviour of the nanoparticle, resulting in new biological characteristics and influencing the circulation lifetime, accumulation, toxicity, cellular uptake and agglomeration. This book provides a detailed understanding of nanoparticle–protein corona formation, its biological significance and the factors that govern the formation of coronas. It also explains the impact of nanoparticle–protein interactions on biological assays, ecotoxicity studies and proteomics research. It will be of interest to researchers studying the application of nanoparticles as well as toxicologists and pharmaceutical chemists.