Figure 1.

Effects of a protein corona surrounding a nanoparticle. The corona constitutes a primary nanobio-interface that determines the fate of the nanoparticle and can have deleterious effects on the interactive proteins. Pre-existing or initial material characteristics contribute to the formation of the corona in biological environments. Characteristic protein attachment and/or detachment rates, competitive binding interactions, steric hindrance by detergents and adsorbed polymers, and the protein profile of the body fluid lead to dynamic changes of the corona. The corona can change when particles move from one biological compartment to another. Reproduced, with permission, from Ref. [47].