Biomedical engineers at the Tufts University School of Engineering have developed tiny lipid-based nanoparticles that incorporate neurotranmitters to help carry drugs, large molecules, and even gene editing proteins across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain in mice. The innovation, published today in Science Advances, could overcome many of the current limitations encountered in delivering therapeutics into the central nervous system, and opens up the possibility of using a wide range of therapeutics that would otherwise not have access to the brain.
“The power of our method is that it is extremely versatile and relatively non-disruptive,” said Qiaobing Xu, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Tufts University and corresponding author of the study. “We can deliver a wide range of molecules by packaging them into the lipid-based nanonparticles without chemically modifying the drugs themselves. We can also achieve delivery across the blood-brain barrier without disrupting the integrity of the barrier.”
Xu cautioned that more studies and clinical trials are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of the delivery method in humans.
The blood-brain barrier consists of a layer of endothelial cells that line the blood vessels in the brain and allows only a highly select set of molecules to pass from the bloodstream into the fluid surrounding the neurons and other cells of the brain.The ability to safely and efficiently deliver therapeutic molecular cargos across the barrier and into the brain has been a long-standing challenge in medicine.
The treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, brain tumors, brain infections and stroke has been limited by the difficulty in safely delivering small molecule drugs and macromolecules, such as peptides and proteins, into the brain. Current approaches, such as direct injection or disruption of the barrier to make it “leaky,” are fraught with risks, including infection, tissue damage and neurotoxicity. The use of carriers, such as modified viruses and monoclonal antibodies to ferry cargo into the brain, has limitations, including production cost and safety. Other carriers, such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules and polymers, have shown promise but the modifications required to ensure delivery can be complicated.
Image Credit: Amanda Scott/Envato
Thanks to Heinz V. Hoenen. Follow him on twitter: @HeinzVHoenen

News This Week
Lipid nanoparticles carry gene-editing cancer drugs past tumor defenses
As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult. Now, scientists at UT Southwestern have developed nanoparticles that can break [...]
Graphene Nanosensor Detects Biomarkers Through Tears
In an article recently published in the journal Talanta, researchers demonstrated a new approach to enable the specific detection of biomarkers in human tear by employing an aptamer-based graphene affinity nanosensor. The ability to detect [...]
How Nanotechnology Can Make a Splash in Aquaculture
Selenium (Se) is an essential element found in aquatic feeds that promotes the proper development, wellbeing, and fitness of marine animals. Selenium can be transformed into nanomaterials that are more easily accessible, absorbed, and consumed by [...]
Super-Resolution Imaging Method For Multiple Fluorescence Microscopy Applications
In an article recently published in the journal Nanotechnology, researchers employed a single particle imaging method for fluorescence excitation with moderate intensity to achieve spatial resolution. Here, the semiconductor nanocrystals were accessed, whose emission lifetimes [...]
Trials to begin on new SA COVID-19 vaccine
A new COVID-19 vaccine developed in South Australia and administered with a needle-free device is to begin human trials. Designed by University of Adelaide researchers the DNA vaccine also targets the Omicron variant of [...]
Towards Carbon Clean Manufacturing with Eco-Friendly Nano-Lubricants
Grinding is an essential manufacturing process, yet the heat due to friction associated with the process causes damage to the part being processed. Lubrication is used to reduce friction; however, traditional petroleum-based lubricants can [...]
Researchers develop hybrid sensor that could help diagnose cancer
A team of researchers from HSE University, Skoltech, MPGU, and MISIS have developed a nanophotonic-microfluidic sensor whose potential applications include cancer detection, monitoring and treatment response assessment. Today, the device can identify gases and [...]
Scientists Develop ‘Nanomachines’ That Can Penetrate And Kill Cancer Cells
Researchers have made a scientific breakthrough with the development of ‘nanomachines’ that can kill cancerous cells. The research team headed by Dr Youngdo Jeong from the Center for Advanced Biomolecular Recognition at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has engineered [...]
Green Method to Make Nanoparticles and Ultrafine Powder
A novel freeze-dissolving approach has been devised that offers greater efficiency and sustainability compared to the classic freeze-drying process to make superfine powder or nanoparticles. In the research published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, sphere-shaped [...]
Participants wanted for study on the regulation of what future AI-driven nanomedicines should look like
Would you like to help in some research on the regulation of what future AI-driven nanomedicines should look like? If so, researchers at the University of Bristol are looking for volunteers to discuss ethical [...]
Could gold nanoparticles help treat cancer?
Gold nanoparticles are minuscule particles made of gold. From drug and gene delivery to photothermal and photodynamic therapies to screening and diagnostic tests to radiation therapy, X-ray imaging and CT scans, these small particles [...]
Carbon Dots Target Nucleolus and Monitor in Real-Time
In an article recently published in the journal Applied Surface Science, the researchers synthesized green fluorescent carbon dots (G-CDs) from 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid and citric acid. The as-prepared G-CDs were used to target the nucleolus and [...]
Green Nanoformulation for Anti-Cancer and Antibacterial Functions
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a powerful anti-cancer medication, and efforts have been made to design nanostructures for delivering it to cancerous cells. The nanostructures increase the cytotoxic effects of DOX on cancerous cells, while reducing the negative effects [...]
New drug delivery system releases therapeutic cargo only when bacteria are present
A team of Brown University researchers has developed a new responsive material that is able to release encapsulated cargo only when pathogenic bacteria are present. The material could be used to make wound dressings [...]
Hairy Cell Leukemia Complicated by Severe COVID-19: A Case Study
Novel three-drug regimen used to manage life-threatening developments. In April 2021, a 42-year-old man reached out to Brian Hill, MD, PhD, for a second opinion after being diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia following a bone [...]
We’re now in the ‘age of pandemics’. Can we stop the next one?
When the virus hunters landed in the remote African village of Yambuku in 1976, the nuns warned them to stay back. The sisters had cordoned off the area where they were caring for people [...]