ABSTRACT
AIM: To produce mammalian biomimetic nanosponges from mammalian erythrocyte ghosts. Biomimetic nanosponges were studied in vitro as treatment platforms against exotoxin-related sepsis. METHODS: Ovine blood was treated with hypotonic buffer to create erythrocyte ghosts and then subjected to sonication to produce erythrocyte vesicles of nonuniform size. Vesicles were then serially extruded through 400-nm and 100-nm polycarbonate membranes. Nanosponges were prepared by fusing poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) cores with ovine erythrocyte vesicles. RESULTS: Ovine erythrocytes were the most susceptible to streptolysin-O lysis, making it a model to study sepsis treatment. Ovine nanosponges adsorbed streptolysin-O at 37 and 40°C. CONCLUSION: These results identify ovine nanosponges as novel therapeutic model to test adsorption of cholesterol binding toxins such as streptolysin-O.
