Pre-coating liposomes with an artificial protein corona reduces capture by immune system

Despite considerable, decade-long efforts in the field of nanomedicine, fewer nanoparticle technologies than expected have made it to clinical trials. Understanding the role of the nano-bio interface - the protein corona - appears to be a critical factor for successful clinical translation of medical nanotechnologies. New research demonstrates that the protein corona controls the interaction of liposomes with immune cells and reveals that the pre-coating of liposomes with an artificial corona made of human plasma proteins significantly decreases capture by circulating leukocytes in whole blood.