Molecularly Imprinted Nanogels Acquire Stealth In Situ by Cloaking Themselves with Native Dysopsonic Proteins

Protein corona formation was regulated on the surface in vivo by molecular imprinting to enable polymeric nanogels to acquire stealth upon intravenous administration. Albumin, the most abundant protein in blood, was selected as a distinct protein component of protein corona for preparing molecularly imprinted nanogels (MIP‐NGs) to form an albumin‐rich protein corona. Intravital fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging of rhodamine‐labeled albumin and fluorescein‐conjugated MIP‐NGs showed that albumin was captured by MIP‐NGs immediately after injection, forming an albumin‐rich protein corona. MIP‐NGs circulated in the blood longer than those of non‐albumin‐imprinted nanogels, with almost no retention in liver tissue. MIP‐NGs also passively accumulated in tumor tissue. These data suggest that this strategy, based on regulation of the protein corona in vivo, may significantly influence the development of drug nanocarriers for cancer therapy.     

A Double‐Imprinted Diffraction‐Grating Sensor Based on a Virus‐Responsive Super‐Aptamer Hydrogel Derived from an Impure Extract

The detection of viruses is of interest for a number of fields including biomedicine, environmental science, and biosecurity. Of particular interest are methods that do not require expensive equipment or trained personnel, especially if the results can be read by the naked eye. A new “double imprinting” method was developed whereby a virus‐bioimprinted hydrogel is further micromolded into a diffraction grating sensor by using imprint‐lithography techniques to give a “Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Gel Laser Diffraction Sensor” (MIP‐GLaDiS). A simple laser transmission apparatus was used to measure diffraction, and the system can read by the naked eye to detect the Apple Stem Pitting Virus (ASPV) at concentrations as low as 10 ng mL⁻¹, thus setting the limit of detection of these hydrogels as low as other antigen‐binding methods such as ELISA or fluorescence‐tag systems.