Heparin-Binding Proteins in the Nanoparticle Corona: An Overlooked Player at the Bio–Nano Interface
- 1Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) , , , ,
- 2University of California , , , ,
Abstract
When nanoparticles (NPs) enter biological environments, they rapidly acquire a layer of adsorbed proteins, known as the protein corona, which plays a central role in their interactions with cells. While extensive work has focused on how corona proteins interact with cell-surface receptors to modulate NP uptake, the role of corona–glycocalyx interactions has received comparatively little attention. In this Minireview, we highlight emerging evidence that heparin-binding proteins (HBPs) within the protein corona can engage glycosaminoglycans, such as heparan sulfate, in the cellular glycocalyx, thereby introducing an additional layer of molecular recognition at the cell surface. Drawing on recently published protein corona data sets, we further show that HBPs are frequently present and often abundant across protein coronas from diverse NP systems. These observations highlight HBPs as important, yet underappreciated, mediators of NP–cell interactions and uptake.
Related
- Computational Prediction of Ligand-Binding Sites of Proteins by Combining Hydrophobic Area Search and Residue-Based Scoring
- Nano MIPs (Molecularly Imprinted Polymers) Prepared From a “Frustrated” Gold Nanoparticle‐Based Pre‐Imprinting Matrix: Enhancing Binding Affinity and Selectivity
- Cerium binding to proteins: a structural analysis
- Integrative AI-assisted modeling suggests CPPF binding at a composite α/β-tubulin interface pocket dominated by β-tubulin contacts
- Development of a Microfluidic Droptode Sensor for Detection of Heparin in Citrated Human Plasma
BibTeX
@article{olivieri2026heparinbinding,
title = {{Heparin-Binding Proteins in the Nanoparticle Corona: An Overlooked Player at the Bio–Nano Interface}},
author = {Paulo H. Olivieri and Giselle Z. Justo and Jeffrey D. Esko and Alioscka A. Sousa},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c09380},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09380/5453857/Heparin-Binding-Proteins-in-the-Nanoparticle},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Heparin-Binding Proteins in the Nanoparticle Corona: An Overlooked Player at the Bio–Nano Interface
AU - Paulo H. Olivieri
AU - Giselle Z. Justo
AU - Jeffrey D. Esko
AU - Alioscka A. Sousa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c09380
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09380/5453857/Heparin-Binding-Proteins-in-the-Nanoparticle
AB - When nanoparticles (NPs) enter biological environments, they rapidly acquire a layer of adsorbed proteins, known as the protein corona, which plays a central role in their interactions with cells. While extensive work has focused on how corona proteins interact with cell-surface receptors to modulate NP uptake, the role of corona–glycocalyx interactions has received comparatively little attention. In this Minireview, we highlight emerging evidence that heparin-binding proteins (HBPs) within the protein corona can engage glycosaminoglycans, such as heparan sulfate, in the cellular glycocalyx, thereby introducing an additional layer of molecular recognition at the cell surface. Drawing on recently published protein corona data sets, we further show that HBPs are frequently present and often abundant across protein coronas from diverse NP systems. These observations highlight HBPs as important, yet underappreciated, mediators of NP–cell interactions and uptake.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -