Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are known to induce the hemolysis of human red blood cells (RBCs) when citotoxicity assays are performed in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS). However, in a more realistic approach, the presence of blood plasma biomolecules must be considered in any nanotoxicological evaluation of porous SiO2 nanoparticles when biomedical applications through intravenous administration are aimed. In this context, it is demonstrated in this work that porous silica nanoparticles do not induce any cytotoxic effect on RBCs when hemolysis assay is done in the presence of blood plasma, regardless the surface charge (positive or negative) of the nanoparticle. The absence of hemolysis is mainly associated with the adsorption of plasma proteins on the nanoparticle surface, which leads to the formation of a stable protein coating (called protein corona or PC) that shields the original microchemical environment of bare nanoparticles.
nanoparticles; SiO2; mesopores; hemolytic effect; protein corona
