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Moreira R, Nóbrega C, de Almeida LP, Mendonça L. Brain-targeted drug delivery - nanovesicles directed to specific brain cells by brain-targeting ligands. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:260. [PMID: 38760847 PMCID: PMC11100082 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02511-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by extensive loss of function or death of brain cells, hampering the life quality of patients. Brain-targeted drug delivery is challenging, with a low success rate this far. Therefore, the application of targeting ligands in drug vehicles, such as lipid-based and polymeric nanoparticles, holds the promise to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and direct therapies to the brain, in addition to protect their cargo from degradation and metabolization. In this review, we discuss the barriers to brain delivery and the different types of brain-targeting ligands currently in use in brain-targeted nanoparticles, such as peptides, proteins, aptamers, small molecules, and antibodies. Moreover, we present a detailed review of the different targeting ligands used to direct nanoparticles to specific brain cells, like neurons (C4-3 aptamer, neurotensin, Tet-1, RVG, and IKRG peptides), astrocytes (Aquaporin-4, D4, and Bradykinin B2 antibodies), oligodendrocytes (NG-2 antibody and the biotinylated DNA aptamer conjugated to a streptavidin core Myaptavin-3064), microglia (CD11b antibody), neural stem cells (QTRFLLH, VPTQSSG, and NFL-TBS.40-63 peptides), and to endothelial cells of the BBB (transferrin and insulin proteins, and choline). Reports demonstrated enhanced brain-targeted delivery with improved transport to the specific cell type targeted with the conjugation of these ligands to nanoparticles. Hence, this strategy allows the implementation of high-precision medicine, with reduced side effects or unwanted therapy clearance from the body. Nevertheless, the accumulation of some of these nanoparticles in peripheral organs has been reported indicating that there are still factors to be improved to achieve higher levels of brain targeting. This review is a collection of studies exploring targeting ligands for the delivery of nanoparticles to the brain and we highlight the advantages and limitations of this type of approach in precision therapies.
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Grants
- under BrainHealth2020 projects (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000008), through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization and Portuguese national funds via FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under projects - UIDB/04539/2020 and UIDP/04539/2020, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030737 (NeuroStemForMJD, PTDC/BTM-ORG/30737/2017), CEECIND/04242/2017, and PhD Scholarship European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme
- under BrainHealth2020 projects (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000008), through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization and Portuguese national funds via FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under projects - UIDB/04539/2020 and UIDP/04539/2020, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030737 (NeuroStemForMJD, PTDC/BTM-ORG/30737/2017), CEECIND/04242/2017, and PhD Scholarship European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Moreira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, polo 1, Coimbra, FMUC, 3004-504, Portugal
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3000-548, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), University of Algarve, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, polo 1, Coimbra, FMUC, 3004-504, Portugal
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3000-548, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3030-789, Portugal
| | - Liliana Mendonça
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, polo 1, Coimbra, FMUC, 3004-504, Portugal.
- CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal.
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3030-789, Portugal.
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Butt MH, Zaman M, Ahmad A, Khan R, Mallhi TH, Hasan MM, Khan YH, Hafeez S, Massoud EES, Rahman MH, Cavalu S. Appraisal for the Potential of Viral and Nonviral Vectors in Gene Therapy: A Review. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:1370. [PMID: 36011281 PMCID: PMC9407213 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, gene therapy has gained immense importance in medical research as a promising treatment strategy for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and many genetic disorders. When a gene needs to be delivered to a target cell inside the human body, it has to pass a large number of barriers through the extracellular and intracellular environment. This is why the delivery of naked genes and nucleic acids is highly unfavorable, and gene delivery requires suitable vectors that can carry the gene cargo to the target site and protect it from biological degradation. To date, medical research has come up with two types of gene delivery vectors, which are viral and nonviral vectors. The ability of viruses to protect transgenes from biological degradation and their capability to efficiently cross cellular barriers have allowed gene therapy research to develop new approaches utilizing viruses and their different genomes as vectors for gene delivery. Although viral vectors are very efficient, science has also come up with numerous nonviral systems based on cationic lipids, cationic polymers, and inorganic particles that provide sustainable gene expression without triggering unwanted inflammatory and immune reactions, and that are considered nontoxic. In this review, we discuss in detail the latest data available on all viral and nonviral vectors used in gene delivery. The mechanisms of viral and nonviral vector-based gene delivery are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of all types of vectors are also given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Hammad Butt
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (M.H.B.); (A.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Muhammad Zaman
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (M.H.B.); (A.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Abrar Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (M.H.B.); (A.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Rahima Khan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan; (M.H.B.); (A.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia or (T.H.M.); or (Y.H.K.)
| | - Mohammad Mehedi Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail 1902, Bangladesh;
| | - Yusra Habib Khan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia or (T.H.M.); or (Y.H.K.)
| | - Sara Hafeez
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan;
| | - Ehab El Sayed Massoud
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Arts in Dahran Aljnoub, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia;
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
- Agriculture Research Centre, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, Giza 3725004, Egypt
| | - Md. Habibur Rahman
- Department of Global Medical Science, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Korea;
| | - Simona Cavalu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Pta 1 Decembrie 10, 410087 Oradea, Romania
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Transferrin conjugated Stealth liposomes for sirolimus active targeting in breast cancer. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Al-Attar T, Madihally SV. Targeted cancer treatment using a combination of siRNA-liposomes and resveratrol-electrospun fibers in co-cultures. Int J Pharm 2019; 569:118599. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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