A reflection on ‘Protein coronas suppress the hemolytic activity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanoparticles’

Abstract

Nanomaterials are at the forefront of modern therapeutics. The systemic administration of nanomaterials, however, can disrupt red blood cells. This hemolysis impacts the applicability of nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Our 2014 Materials Horizons communication (K. Saha, D. F. Moyano and V. M. Rotello, Mater. Horiz., 2014, 1, 102-105, https://doi.org/10.1039/C3MH00075C) highlighted the importance of nanoparticle hydrophobicity in determining hemolytic activity and how the formation of a protein corona can blunt the hemolytic response. This reflection looks at how the findings of this paper are intertwined with ongoing research in nanotherapeutics.