Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems for Neurological Applications
Summary
Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery systems are emerging as powerful platforms to transport therapeutic agents across the blood–brain barrier and into neural tissue. By engineering particle size, surface charge and targeting ligands, these carriers can navigate the cerebrovascular endothelium and achieve site-specific release within the central nervous system. Common nanoparticle matrices include proteins, lipids, polymers and hybrid constructs, each tailored to improve biocompatibility, circulation time and payload stability. Critical design parameters include surface functionalisation to exploit receptor-mediated transcytosis, stimuli-responsive release mechanisms to confine drug action to pathological loci and stealth coatings to evade clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system. These advances offer new avenues for the treatment of gliomas, neurodegenerative diseases and central nervous system infections, with potential to minimise systemic toxicity whilst enhancing therapeutic efficacy.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of protein-based nanoparticles to overcome the restrictive properties of the blood–brain barrier and deliver chemotherapeutic agents directly to glioma tissue. In one approach, nanoparticles composed of a naturally occurring iron-binding protein were loaded with a standard alkylating agent. The carrier exploited receptor overexpression on tumour cells and pH-sensitive release, resulting in prolonged drug retention in the brain, enhanced tumour apoptosis and extended survival in preclinical glioma models. This work illustrates how combining biological targeting motifs with controlled-release chemistry can yield efficacious treatment platforms for malignant brain tumours.
Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery Systems for Neurological Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery systems for neurological applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Blood–Brain Barrier: A selective endothelial interface that restricts passage of most molecules from the bloodstream into the brain.
Targeting Ligand: A molecular moiety attached to a nanoparticle surface that binds specifically to receptors on target cells to facilitate uptake.
PEGylation: The covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol chains to nanoparticle surfaces to enhance circulatory persistence and reduce immune recognition.
Polyplex: A nanoscale complex formed by electrostatic interaction between cationic polymers and nucleic acid cargo for gene delivery.
References
- Overcoming blood brain barrier with a dual purpose Temozolomide loaded Lactoferrin nanoparticles for combating glioma (SERP-17-12433). Scientific Reports (2017).
- In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation of Lactoferrin-Conjugated Liposomes as a Novel Carrier to Improve the Brain Delivery. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2013).
- Brain-Targeted Delivery of Pre-miR-29b Using Lactoferrin-Stearic Acid-Modified-Chitosan/Polyethyleneimine Polyplexes. Pharmaceuticals (2020).
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