Graduate Student Seminar Series – Marshall MacDuff

Graduate Student Seminar Series
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Location: TRI-UC (KITE) Basement Auditorium, 550 University Avenue
Presentation Title: Discovering nanoparticle corona opsonins responsible for liver macrophage capture
Abstract: Liver macrophage cells can capture circulating nanoparticles and reduce their delivery to target organs. Serum proteins adsorbed to the nanoparticle surface can direct interactions with the liver. We used a multi-omic strategy to identify the adsorbed serum proteins binding to specific liver macrophage cell receptors. We discovered six serum adsorbed proteins or opsonins that bind two liver macrophage receptors. We named these nanoparticle-binding ligands Receptor-Active Corona Opsonins (RACOs). We further determined the nanoparticle design can influence the probability of one of the six serum proteins adsorbing to the surface, which leads to a high probability of its binding to RACOs for removal from circulation by the liver. The identification of these six serum corona proteins enabled us to precisely design decoy nanoparticles to prime the liver to decrease the uptake of therapeutic nanoparticles, leading to more nanoparticles for targeting extrahepatic tissues. Thus, the elucidation of the molecular interactions governing the nanoparticle journey in vivo will enable us to control the delivery of particles to diseased tissues.
Supervisor Name: Warren Chan
Year of Study: 2
Program of Study: PhD
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