Sex-Specific Silica Nanoparticle Protein Corona Compositions Exposed to Male and Female BALB/c Mice Plasmas

As various nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being
used in nanomedicine
products for more effective and less toxic therapy and diagnosis of
diseases, there is a growing need to understand their biological fate
in different sexes. Herein, we report a proof-of-concept result of
sex-specific protein corona compositions on the surface of silica
NPs as a function of their size and porosity upon incubation with
plasma proteins of female and male BALB/c mice. Our results demonstrate
substantial differences between male and female protein corona profiles
on the surface of silica nanoparticles. By comparing protein abundances
between male and female protein coronas of mesoporous silica nanoparticles
and Stöber silica nanoparticles of ∼100, 50, and 100
nm in diameter, respectively, we detected 17, 4, and 4 distinct proteins,
respectively, that were found at significantly different concentrations
for these constructs. These initial findings demonstrate that animal
sex can influence protein corona formation on silica NPs as a function
of the physicochemical properties. A more thorough consideration of
the role of plasma sex would enable nanomedicine community to design
and develop safer and more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedicine
products for both sexes.