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加州大学戴维斯分校开发出新型纳米载药系统克服血脑屏障

  1. Cryptococcus neoformans
  2. 硅纳米颗粒
  3. 纳米载药系统
  4. 血脑屏障
  5. 金属蛋白酶

来源:生物谷 2014-05-27 17:26

加州大学戴维斯分校开发出新型纳米载药系统克服血脑屏障。

2014年5月27日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --长期以来,医生在治疗脑部疾病如脑膜炎、感染引起的炎症以及相关的癌症时都苦于无法有效克服血脑屏障(blood-brain barrier)的阻碍。现在来自加州大学戴维斯分校的研究人员开发出一种硅纳米颗粒能够有效跨越血脑屏障将药物输送到脑部。这一研究结果是在今年五月份举办的美国微生物学会的年会上公布的。研究人员发现一种名为 Cryptococcus neoformans 的真菌因为具有一种特殊的金属蛋白酶而可以跨越血脑屏障。当科学家将这种酶在面包酵母中表达时惊奇的发现面包酵母也获得了跨越血脑屏障的能力。基于这种原理,研究人员将这种金属蛋白酶与安全无毒的硅纳米颗粒结合在一起开发出一种能够跨越血脑屏障的载药系统。负责这项研究的John Uhrig表示今后利用这种载药系统输送药物能够减少所需药物用量,并进一步降低药物的毒副作用。(生物谷Bioon.com)

详细英文报道:

BOSTON--Treating diseases of the brain, such as cancers, meningitis and infections, has been a formidable task for drug discovery and development because of the challenge of getting drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Investigators from the University of California, Davis, have designed silicon nanoparticles that could be capable of penetrating this protective barrier. The scientists presented their findings during a symposium at the American Society for Microbiology annual meeting on May 17.

The team observed that the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, a yeast capable of causing fungal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals, is able to cross the BBB.

When they knocked out a certain enzyme, called a metalloprotease (Mpr1), the researchers found that C. neoformans lost much of its ability to cross the BBB in a mouse model.

When this metalloprotease is expressed in baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast gains the ability to cross the BBB in an in vitro model. This finding shows that Mpr1 may not require much else to promote crossing the BBB, suggesting a possible use in the development of a novel drug-delivery system.

Using this idea, the investigators have produced silicon nanoparticles and combined them with Mpr1 to form nanocarriers. Silicon nanoparticles are relatively nontoxic, easy to chemically manipulate, and traceable in the body, making them a good candidate for use in a delivery platform.

"We intend to load these nanoparticles up with antineoplastic drugs and test them in a model of brain cancer," said University of California, Davis, researcher John Uhrig during a symposium presentation of his findings.

Current treatment methods for brain disorders are not ideal, since most require either larger doses of the drug, which can have harsh side effects, or injecting the drug through the barrier, which compromises its integrity. A drug delivery system that gets drugs across the BBB would enable more efficient treatment for brain diseases and could potentially lessen side effects from high doses of directly injected drugs.

 

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