A Synthetic Protocell ‐Based Heparin Scavenger

Semipermeable proteinosomes are developed to scavenge heparin, and a comparable performance to the commercial antidote, protamine sulfate, is demonstrated. The toxic effect of the cationic binder and the polyelectrolyte complexes are shielded by the biocompatible compartment. Moreover, selective heparin-scavenging performance is achieved through adjusting local scavenger or surrounding salt concentrations, making such a platform promising in scavenging polyelectrolytes in general. AbstractHeparin is a commonly applied blood anticoagulant agent in clinical use. After treatment, excess heparin needs to be removed to circumvent side effects and recover the blood-clotting cascade. Most existing heparin antidotes rely on direct heparin binding and complexation, yet selective compartmentalization and sequestration of heparin would be beneficial for safety and efficiency. However, such systems have remained elusive. Herein, a semipermeable protein-based microcompartment (proteinosome) is loaded with a highly positively charged chitosan derivative, which can induce electrostatics-driven internalization of anionic guest molecules inside the compartment. Chitosan-loaded proteinosomes are subsequently employed to capture heparin, and an excellent heparin-scavenging performance is demonstrated under physiologically relevant conditions. Both the highly positive scavenger and the polyelectrolyte complex are confined and shielded by the protein compartment in a time-dependent manner. Moreov...
Source: Small - Category: Nanotechnology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research