(264g) Zwitterionic Polymer Coatings to Limit Protein Adsorption to Nanocarrier Surfaces

The formation of a protein corona on drug carriers significantly reduces carrier penetration into cells. The goal of this work is to design zwitterionic polymers that can be readily attached to the surface of nanocarriers and limit protein adsorption from biological fluids. Zwitterionic polymers containing positively and negatively charged groups in close proximity can imbue surfaces with high levels of protein resistance (similar to virus coatings). In the current work, polymethacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) was synthesized using photoinitiated radical addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Polymer conversion was confirmed by 1H-NMR and monodispersity in molecular weight by GPC analysis. MPC, containing thiol end groups, was attached as a self-assembled monolayer to the surface of 100 nm spherical gold particles, synthesized using a modified version of the Turkevich protocol. DLS, TEM, laser Doppler anemometry, and XPS confirmed polymer coating on the gold surfaces. The level of proteins adsorbed from serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) onto the nanoparticle surfaces was determined via standard protein assays. Significant inhibition of protein adsorption was observed with both serum and BALF, however complete inhibition was not achieved with BALF likely due to differences in the protein composition between these two biological fluids.