Role of the nanoparticle core and capping on the interaction with lipid monolayers

Abstract

The actual requirement of biotechnological tools to reduce the delivery time, cost, and animal assays in multiple pharmaceutical and (bio)medical applications has enhanced the historical search for rational design strategies to study the interaction of emerging nanomaterials with biological interfaces. Nanoparticles (NPs) are in increasing contact with different ecosystems. This raises the need to understand their interactions with biointerfaces, in order to prevent potential toxic effects and work on their rational design. In this sense, the modulation of the final response of NPs upon their interaction with biological fluids and interfaces requires deep knowledge of the properties of both their core and capping constituents and the extent to which they can determine the final fate of these interactions. This chapter presents Langmuir monolayers (LMs) as a potent tool for studying the interaction between different types of biologically relevant NPs and lipid model biomembranes. Herein we address the different experimental set up to study the films formed by NPs or NPs–lipids. Finally, we give insights into the potential and limitations of LMs as a high throughput technique to perform and validate in vivo studies, thus shortening the gap between experimental and clinical trials.