Design and Modification of Nanoparticles for Blood Substitutes

摘要

We have been developing the technology of stabilized and functionalized nanoparticles such as liposomes for 20 years. When phospholipids and cholesterol are dispersed into an aqueous solution, they spontaneously assemble to form vesicles with a bimolecular (bilayer) membrane. There are many parameters, such as size, size distribution, lamellarity (the number of bilayer membranes), membrane fluidity, surface charge, surface modification, membrane permeability, that characterize liposomes. They can be adjusted as need dictates to allow for changing encapsulation of functional molecules, release triggered by external stimuli, conjugation of functional sites on the surface, rolling or adhesion properties of liposomes, and control of blood circulation time. On the other hand, we have to consider their physical and chemical stability during storage or blood circulation. Surface modification with poly-oxyethylene (POE) chains is one of the most effective ways to impart such stabilization.