The binding affinity of anti-Aβ1-42 MAb-decorated nanoliposomes to Aβ1-42 peptides in vitro and to amyloid deposits in post-mortem tissue

Abstract Amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates are considered as possible targets for therapy and/or diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), and nanoparticles functionalized with Aβ-specific ligands are considered promising vehicles for imaging probes and therapeutic agents. Herein, we characterized the binding properties of nanoliposomes decorated with an anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody (Aβ-MAb). The Aβ-MAb was obtained in mice by immunization with Aβ antigen followed by hybridoma fusion. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) studies confirmed the very high affinity of purified Aβ-MAb for both Aβ monomers and fibrils ( K D  = 0.08 and 0.13 n m , respectively). The affinity of the biotinylated Aβ-MAb, used thereafter for liposome decoration, was lower although still in the low nanomolar range ( K D  = 2.1 and 1.6 n m , respectively). Biotin-streptavidin ligation method was used to decorate nanoliposomes with Aβ-MAb, at different densities. IgG-decorated liposomes were generated by the same methodology, as control. Vesicles were monodisperse with mean diameters 124–134 nm and demonstrated good colloidal stability and integrity when incubated with serum proteins. When studied by SPR, Aβ-MAb-liposomes, but not IgG-liposomes, markedly bound to Aβ monomers and fibrils, immobilized on the chip. K D values (calculated on Aβ-MAb content) were about 0.5 and 2 n m with liposomes at high and low Aβ-MAb density, respectively. Aβ-MAb-liposome binding to Aβ fibrils was additionally confirmed by ultracentrifugation technique, in which interactions occur in solution under physiological conditions. Moreover, Aβ-MAb-liposomes bound amyloid deposits in post-mortem AD brain samples, confirming the potential of these nanoparticles for the diagnosis and therapy of AD.