Polyelectrolyte/protein synergism for the design of reversible pH-responsive micelles and targeted drug delivery

by Dr Anastasiia Murmiliuk (Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH)

Monday May 15, 2023, 2:30 PM → 3:30 PM Europe/Berlin

PH HS 3 (Physics Department)

Co-assembly of polyelectrolytes (PE) with proteins can be used to design complexes with different morphologies, charge distribution, and tunable properties for targeted delivery of cargo. However, the complexity of protein structure limits the ability to predict and tune the properties of the formed nanoparticles. The goal of our research is to reveal the main triggers for the morphological transition of protein/PE complexes, their encapsulation efficacy, and particle stability by the systematic study of complexes formed by block copolymers with proteins and ionic drugs. We showed that copolymers consisting of weak PE and neutral hydrophilic block co-assemble with proteins at pH close to the protein isoelectric point and the morphology of the formed particles can be tuned by varying pH and nature of proteins. We observed that formed protein/PE complexes with an excess of a charge can be used for encapsulation of an ionic drug thus allowing us to use these nanocarriers with tunable charge, stability, internal structure, and size for both protein and drug delivery.