Sci Adv: Use neurotransmitters to transport drugs to the brain.

27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomedical engineers at tufts University School of Engineering --- recently developed tiny lipid-based nanoparticles that combine neurotransmitters to help deliver drugs, macromolecules and even gene-edited proteins through the blood-brain barrier to the brains of mice.
the innovative technology, recently published in Science Advance, can overcome many of the current limitations of delivering therapeutic agents to the central nervous system and open up the possibility of using other therapeutic agents that would not otherwise have access to the brain. "The strength of our approach is that it's extremely versatile and relatively non-disruptive," said Qiaobing Xu, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Tufts University
and the study's lead author.
we can deliver a variety of molecules by packaging them into lipid-based nanoparticles without chemicalmodifications of the drug itself.
we can also achieve delivery across the blood-brain barrier without compromising the integrity of the barrier.
"however, more research and clinical trials are needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of this delivery method in the human body.
blood-brain barrier consists of a layer of endothelial cells arranged in the brain's cerebral vessels, and allows only a highly selected set of molecules to be transferred from the bloodstream to the fluid around neurons and other cells in the brain.
safeand and effective way to cross the barrier and into the brain has been a long-standing challenge in the medical field.
(photo: www.pixabay.com) has limited treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumours, brain infections and strokes because of the difficulty of delivering small molecule stakes and macromolecules such as peptides and proteins safely into the brain.
current methods, such as direct injection or breaking barriers, are fraught with risks, including infection, tissue damage and neurotoxicity.
use vectors such as modified viruses and monoclonal antibodies to transport goods to the brain, including production costs and safety.
other carriers, such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules and polymers, can be complex.
the study authors, based on the fact that certain neurotransmitters have the chemical "passport" needed to enter the brain, can encase other molecules, especially therapeutic drugs, by attaching lipid (fat-like) molecules to the neurotransmitters by attaching the resulting NT-lipids into tiny bubbles of lipid nanoparticles (LNP).
the LNP can be injected intravenously and carry the drug into the blood-brain barrier, while NT lipids help the LNP carry the drug through the barrier.
, the LNP can then fuse with neurons and other cells in the brain.
using an NT-lipid LNP, the researchers successfully delivered a small molecule antifungal drug, the "bi-cyclic mycomycin B," into the brains of mice.
, the authors also attempted to deliver macromolecules containing Tau antisense oligonucleotides, which inhibit the production of tau proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, as well as the gene-editing protein GFP-Cre.
the researchers observed a decrease in tau protein after administration, as well as direct evidence that gene-edited proteins enter neurons.
, while more research and clinical trials are needed, the delivery method may have made significant progress in facilitating and general application of central nervous system drug delivery.
researchers at Tufts University found that adding NT-lipids to many LNP varieties allowed them to penetrate the blood-brain barrier.
this means optimizing the fat length and proportions of the LNP to package different types of drugs from small molecules to DNA to large enzyme compounds, and then to provide the same hemo-brain barrier permeability by adding NT-lipids.
(bioon.com) Source: Novel drug delivery particles use neurodus as a 'passport' into the brain original source: Neurodau-derived lipidoids (NT-lipidoids) for the roedd brain delivery through intravenous, Science Injection Advanceds 2020 July 24. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4429.