Dynamics of airways mucus: healthy and pathological model probed by XPCS.

We propose to employ XPCS as microrheological technique to investigate the dynamics and visco-elastic properties of different species of model mucus hydrogels by following the diffusion and sub-diffusion of tracer nanoparticles. We recently performed XPCS measurements at ID10 beamline (SC-4807) employing hybrid lipid–polymer nanoparticles (hNPs) as tracers that, by a preliminary analysis, suggested very different behaviours depending on the composition of the mucus containing DNA to mimic phatological conditions. We aim to deepen and confirm this behaviour testing different probe particles. We also intend to test the possible entanglment effect induced by a bioactive polymer, AGMA1, a protective agent against virus (HIV, Papilloma) cell attachment in mucosal tissue, acting as a competitor in receptors recognition at the cell surface. AGMA1 can be of relevace for the protection also against a large family of influenza viruses.