Selective organ targeting nanoparticles: from design to clinical translation

Advances in Intrathecal Nanoparticle Delivery: Targeting the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier for Enhanced CNS Drug Delivery

The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) tightly regulates molecular exchanges between the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), creating challenges for effective central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery. This review assesses intrathecal (IT) nanoparticle (NP) delivery systems that aim to enhance drug delivery by circumventing the BCSFB, complementing approaches that target the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) face hurdles like restricted CNS distribution and rapid clearance, which diminish the efficacy of IT therapies. NPs can be engineered to extend drug circulation times, improve CNS penetration, and facilitate sustained release. This review discusses key pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters essential for the effectiveness of these systems. NPs can quickly traverse the subarachnoid space and remain within the leptomeninges for extended periods, often exceeding three weeks. Some designs enable deeper brain parenchyma penetration. Approximately 80% of NPs in the CSF are cleared through the perivascular glymphatic pathway, with microglia-mediated transport significantly contributing to their paravascular clearance. This review synthesizes recent progress in IT-NP delivery across the BCSFB, highlighting critical findings, ongoing challenges, and the therapeutic potential of surface modifications and targeted delivery strategies.

Steering the course of CAR T cell therapy with lipid nanoparticles

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have proven themselves as transformative actors in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, surpassing traditional methods and addressing challenges like immunogenicity, reduced toxicity, and improved safety. Promising preclinical results signal a shift toward safer and more effective CAR T cell treatments. Ongoing research aims to validate these findings in clinical trials, marking a new era guided by LNPs utility in CAR therapy. Herein, we explore the preference for LNPs over traditional methods, highlighting the versatility of LNPs and their effective delivery of nucleic acids. Additionally, we address key challenges in clinical considerations, heralding a new era in CAR T cell therapy.

Regulation of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease via nanoparticle-loaded phytocompounds with anti-inflammatory and autophagy-inducing properties

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuroinflammation linked to amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation and phosphorylated tau (τ) protein in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Key elements in Aβ production and NFT assembly, like γ-secretase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), contribute to neuroinflammation. In addition, impaired proteosomal and autophagic pathways increase Aβ and τ aggregation, leading to neuronal damage. Conventional neuroinflammation drugs have limitations due to unidirectional therapeutic approaches and challenges in crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Clinical trials for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other therapeutics remain uncertain. Novel strategies addressing the complex pathogenesis and BBB translocation are needed to effectively tackle AD-related neuroinflammation.

PURPOSE

The current scenario demands for a much-sophisticated theranostic measures which could be achieved via customized engineering and designing of novel nanotherapeutics. As, these therapeutics functions as a double edge sword, having the efficiency of unambiguous targeting, multiple drug delivery and ability to cross BBB proficiently.

METHODS

Inclusion criteria involve selecting recent, English-language studies from the past decade (2013-2023) that explore the regulation of neuroinflammation in neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's disease, amyloid β, tau protein, nanoparticles, autophagy, and phytocompounds. Various study types, including clinical trials, experiments, and reviews, were considered. Exclusion criteria comprised non-relevant publication types, studies unrelated to Alzheimer's disease or phytocompounds, those with methodological flaws, duplicates, and studies with inaccessible data.

RESULTS

In this study, polymeric nanoparticles loaded with specific phytocompounds and coated with an antibody targeting the transferrin receptor (anti-TfR) present on BBB. Thereafter, the engineered nanoparticles with the ability to efficiently traverse the BBB and interact with target molecules within the brain, could induce autophagy, a cellular process crucial for neuronal health, and exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects. Henceforth, the proposed combination of desired phytocompounds, polymeric nanoparticles, and anti-TfR coating presents a promising approach for targeted drug delivery to the brain, with potential implications in neuroinflammatory conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Nanomedicine against biofilm infections: A roadmap of challenges and limitations

Microbial biofilms are complex three-dimensional structures where sessile microbes are embedded in a polymeric extracellular matrix. Their resistance toward the host immune system as well as to a diverse range of antimicrobial treatments poses a serious health and development threat, being in the top 10 global public health threats declared by the World Health Organization. In an effort to combat biofilm-related microbial infections, several strategies have been developed to independently eliminate biofilms or to complement conventional antibiotic therapies. However, their limitations leave room for other treatment alternatives, where the application of nanotechnology to biofilm eradication has gained significant relevance in recent years. Their small size, penetration efficiency, and the design flexibility that they present makes them a promising alternative for biofilm infection treatment, although they also present set-backs. This review aims to describe the main possibilities and limitations of nanomedicine against biofilms, while covering the main aspects of biofilm formation and study, and the current therapies for biofilm treatment. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine.