Engineering nanoparticle surface properties for effective targeting

Abstract:

Drug delivery strategies based on nanoparticles (NPs) have significantly impacted the therapeutic landscape in the recent years. In particular, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly allows to modify the surface properties of drug delivery systems, tuning their biodistribution and targeting capacities, expanding their therapeutic applications [1].

In this talk, we will explore the role of protein adsorption in the performance of an array of LbL NPs. By closely looking at the nano-bio interactions, we will be able to better understand and predict NP behaviors. We will then dive into how a precise surface engineering, based on polymer and antibody selection, has enable to decrease unwanted interactions with circulating immune cells while allowing to effectively reach hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in vivo [2]. Last, we will discuss other contexts in which surface modification can broaden the therapeutic applications of other relevant drug delivery systems [3].

Rational design of drug delivery systems, coupled with a deeper understanding of the role their components play, is pivotal to developing the next generation of therapeutics. These approaches will contribute to tackling health disorders and addressing health disparities.

[1] S. Correa, N. Boehnke, A. E. Barberio, E. Deiss-Yehiely, A. Shi, B. Oberlton, S. G. Smith, I. Zervantonakis, E. C. Dreaden, P. T. Hammond, Tuning Nanoparticle Interactions with Ovarian Cancer through Layer-by-Layer Modification of Surface Chemistry. ACS Nano 14, 2224–2237 (2020).

[2] T. G. Dacoba, N. Nabar, P. T. Hammond, Modular Layer-by-Layer Nanoparticle Platform for Hematopoietic Progenitor and Stem Cell Targeting. ACS Nano 19, 11333–11347 (2025).

[3] N. Nabar, T. G. Dacoba, G. Covarrubias, D. Romero-Cruz, P. T. Hammond, Electrostatic adsorption of polyanions onto lipid nanoparticles controls uptake, trafficking, and transfection of RNA and DNA therapies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 121, e2307809121 (2024).

Short bio: 

Tamara G. Dacoba is a senior postdoctoral researcher at Prof. Paula Hammond’s lab at MIT. Her current research focuses on engineering surface modifications to target hematopoietic stem cells for the treatment of blood disorders, while further characterizing these surface properties. Tamara earned her PhD in 2020 from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela under the supervision of Prof. Maria Jose Alonso, where she developed new systems to modulate the immune response in the context of an HIV vaccine and cancer. In 2024 she was named Rising Star in Engineering in Health for her great potential in the biomedical engineering field.