Tailoring the component of protein corona via simple chemistry

Abstract Control over the protein corona of nanomaterials allows them to function better. Here, by taking graphene/gold as examples, we comprehensively assessed the association of surface properties with the protein corona. As revealed by in vitro measurements and computations, the interaction between graphene/gold and HSA/IgE was inversely correlated with the hydroxyl group availability, whereas the interaction between that and ApoE was comparatively less relevant. Molecular simulations revealed that the number and the distribution of surface hydroxyl groups could regulate the manner in which nanomaterials interact with proteins. Moreover, we validated that ApoE pre-adsorption before injection enhances the blood circulation of nanomaterials relative to their pristine and IgE-coated counterparts. This benefit can be attributed to the invulnerability of the complementary system provided by ApoE, whose encasement does not increase cytotoxicity. Overall, this study offers a robust yet simple way to create protein corona enriched in dysopsonins to realize better delivery efficacy.