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Immunoglobulin deposition on biomolecule corona determines complement opsonization efficiency of preclinical and clinical nanoparticles

Nature Nanotechnology volume 14, pages 260–268 (2019)Cite this article

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A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 22 January 2019

This article has been updated

Abstract

Deposition of complement factors (opsonization) on nanoparticles may promote clearance from the blood by macrophages and trigger proinflammatory responses, but the mechanisms regulating the efficiency of complement activation are poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that opsonization of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoworms with the third complement protein (C3) was dependent on the biomolecule corona of the nanoparticles. Here we show that natural antibodies play a critical role in C3 opsonization of SPIO nanoworms and a range of clinically approved nanopharmaceuticals. The dependency of C3 opsonization on immunoglobulin binding is almost universal and is observed regardless of the complement activation pathway. Only a few surface-bound immunoglobulin molecules are needed to trigger complement activation and opsonization. Although the total amount of plasma proteins adsorbed on nanoparticles does not determine C3 deposition efficiency, the biomolecule corona per se enhances immunoglobulin binding to all nanoparticle types. We therefore show that natural antibodies represent a link between biomolecule corona and C3 opsonization, and may determine individual complement responses to nanomedicines.

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Fig. 1: Role of immunoglobulins in efficiency of C3 deposition on SPIO nanoworms.
Fig. 2: Role of immunoglobulins in efficiency of C3 deposition on clinically approved SPIO Feraheme.
Fig. 3: Role of immunoglobulins in efficiency of C3 deposition on clinically approved liposomes.
Fig. 4: Association between immunoglobulin and C3 in the protein corona.
Fig. 5: Role of biomolecule corona in C3 and IgG deposition.
Fig. 6: Proposed scheme of the role of biomolecule corona and immunoglobulin in activation of the alternative pathway.

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Data availability

The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD011781. The raw data that support the graphs in Figs. 1c,d,e,g,h,i; 2c,d,e,f; 3c,d,e,f,i,j,k,l; and 5d are available in extended Supplementary Information. Any additional data and data analysis scripts for R are available from L.S. upon request.

Change history

  • 22 January 2019

    In the version of this Article originally published, a technical error led to Fig. 1a containing ‘!!!!!!!!’ above the scale bar. This has now been corrected in all versions of the Article.

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health grants EB022040, CA194058, CA174560 to D.S. and Diagnologix, LLC (San Diego, CA) to D.S. F.C. was supported by the International Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship Program (2013) from China Postdoctoral Council. S.M.M. acknowledges support by International Science and Technology Cooperation of Guangdong Province (reference 2015A050502002), and Guangzhou City (reference 2016201604030050) with RiboBio Co., Ltd., China. The authors thank N. K. Banda and V. M. Holers for their suggestions during this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Bio-Nanosciences Laboratory, The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Vivian P. Vu, Geoffrey B. Gifford, Halli Benasutti, Guankui Wang, Ernest V. Groman & Dmitri Simberg

  2. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, China–Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China

    Fangfang Chen

  3. Colorado Center for Nanomedicine and Nanosafety, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Guankui Wang, Ernest V. Groman, Robert Scheinman, Seyed Moein Moghimi & Dmitri Simberg

  4. Systems Genetics and Bioinformatics Laboratory, The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Laura Saba

  5. Center for Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Laura Saba

  6. School of Pharmacy, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Seyed Moein Moghimi

  7. Division of Stratified Medicine, Biomarkers and Therapeutics, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Seyed Moein Moghimi

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Contributions

V.P.V., F.C., H.B., E.V.G., G.B.G. and G.W. performed the experiments. R.S., L.S., S.M.M. and D.S. analysed the data. S.M.M. and D.S. conceived the experiments and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Dmitri Simberg.

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Vu, V.P., Gifford, G.B., Chen, F. et al. Immunoglobulin deposition on biomolecule corona determines complement opsonization efficiency of preclinical and clinical nanoparticles. Nat. Nanotechnol. 14, 260–268 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0344-3

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