A new study has revealed molecular rules governing how nanoparticles interact with biological systems, showing how their physicochemical properties shape protein corona (PC) formation and influence biological outcomes. The findings provide a framework for designing nanomedicines with more predictable biological identities.

The study was conducted by a research team led by professor Liu Yuan from the Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Oct. 26.

Nanoparticles hold promise for precise drug delivery and modern therapeutics. Yet, how do nanoparticles interact with biological systems in vivo? For the past two decades, the PC has been regarded as a critical determinant of the fate of nanomedicines in vivo, but it has been studied largely through empirical descriptions rather than generalizable molecular rules. Therefore, a central challenge is to determine how a nanoparticle’s physicochemical properties influence its corona to drive distinct biological outcomes.