Structural characterization of hybrid calciprotein nanoparticles

Calciprotein particles (CPPs) represent a key defence mechanism of our organism for the prevention of ectopic calcifications. They consist of amorphous calcium phosphate nanospheres stabilized by the glycoprotein Fetuin-A (Fet-A). The study of the protein component in these hybrid mineral-organic nanostructures is crucial to shed light on Fet-A and other serum proteins action mechanism and to develop strategies to stabilize such CPPs, thus preventing their crystallization and precipitation that can result in vascular calcifications. To this purpose, SANS is particularly well-suited as it allows investigating the structural features of the organic components of the hybrid nanoparticles: the characterization of the protein layer around the inorganic core will contribute to unravel how their stabilizing action takes place, giving useful insights into their important physiological role.