Biomolecular Corona Associated with Nanostructures: The Potentially Disruptive Role of Raman Microscopy

When nanostructures and other materials are exposed to biological fluids, they are immediately covered by a layer of biological molecules, which is typically referred to as a biomolecular corona (BC). This represents the first component of a material that interacts with biological systems, so characterizing the composition and the dynamic evolution of BC is essential for predicting the interactions of materials and living organisms. This review provides an analysis of current BC characterization techniques, with particular attention to nanostructures involved in biomedical applications. The influence on cell-nanostructure interactions is assessed and the advantages and limitations of each technique are discussed and compared. An in-depth analysis of Raman microscopy, a relatively unexploited tool with great potential in the characterization of BC, is then conducted. Raman microscopy can be used to analyze a vast amount of specimens without the need for staining, and can provide analysis on a spatial scale of hundreds of nanometers: it may thus represent a potentially disruptive tool for the characterization of BC, as it overcomes many of the limitations posed by current techniques.

Automated summary

When nanostructures and other materials are exposed to biological fluids, they are covered by a layer of biological molecules known as a biomolecular corona (BC). Characterizing the composition and dynamic evolution of BC is crucial for predicting material interactions with living organisms. This review analyzes current BC characterization techniques and specifically explores the potential of Raman microscopy in overcoming limitations of existing techniques.