Opsonization, biodistribution, and pharmacokinetics of polymeric nanoparticles.

This work has shown that addition of PEG and PEG-containing copolymers to the surface of nanoparticles results in an increase in the blood circulation half-life of the particles by several orders of magnitude, and creates a hydrophilic protective layer around the nanoparticles that is able to repel the absorption of opsonin proteins via steric repulsion forces.