Targeted Nanoparticle Binding to Hydroxyapatite in a High Serum Environment for Early Detection of Heart Disease

The impact of the protein-rich in vivo environment on targeted binding of functionalized nanoparticles has been an active field of research over the past several years. Current research aims at better understanding the nature of the protein corona and how it may be possible for targeted binding to occur even in the presence of serum. Much of the current research focuses on nanoparticles targeted to particular cell receptors or features with the aim of cellular uptake. However, similar research has not been performed on nanoparticles that are targeted to nonprotein disease features, such as hydroxyapatite (HA). HA is a crystalline calcium-phosphate mineral that is present in large quantities in bone and, in smaller quantities, in diseased cardiovascular tissue in cases of atherosclerosis or various stenoses. Our work aims to gain a better understanding of the behavior of PEGylated, peptide-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in a biologically relevant high-protein environment (50% se...