Qizhi Zhang

Lactoferrin-conjugated PEG-PLA nanoparticles with improved brain delivery: in vitro and in vivo evaluations.

The lactoferrin (Lf) conjugated poly (ethyleneglycol)-poly (lactide) nanoparticle (Lf-NP) was constructed in this paper as a novel biodegradable brain drug delivery system with evaluation of its in vitro and in vivo delivery properties. Lf was thiolated and conjugated to the distal maleimide functions surrounding on the pegylated nanoparticles to form the Lf-NP. The existence of Lf on the surface of Lf-NP was verified by TEM observation and XPS analysis. The Lf ELISA results confirmed the biorecognitive activity of Lf after the coupling procedure and suggested the average number of Lf conjugated on each nanoparticle was around 55. To evaluate the brain delivery properties of the Lf-NP, a fluorescent probe, coumarin-6 was incorporated into it. The uptake of Lf-NP by bEnd.3 cells was shown significantly higher than that of unconjugated nanoparticle (NP). Following an intravenous administration, a near 3 folds of coumarin-6 were found in the mice brain carried by Lf-NP compared to that carried by NP. Cell viability experiment results confirmed good safety of the biodegradable Lf-NP. The significant in vitro and in vivo results suggest that Lf-NP is a promising brain drug delivery system with low toxicity.

Precise glioma targeting of and penetration by aptamer and peptide dual-functioned nanoparticles.

The treatment of a brain glioma is still one of the most difficult challenges in oncology. To effectively treat brain glioma and reduce the side effects, drugs must be transported across the blood brain barrier (BBB) and then targeted to the brain cancer cells because most anti-tumor drugs are highly toxic to the normal brain tissue. A cascade delivery strategy was developed to perform these two aims and to achieve enhanced and precisely targeted delivery. Herein, we utilize a phage-displayed TGN peptide and an AS1411 aptamer, which are specific targeting ligands of the BBB and cancer cells, respectively and we conjugate them with nanoparticles to establish the brain glioma cascade delivery system (AsTNP). In vitro cell uptake and three-dimensional tumor spheroid penetration studies demonstrated that the system could not only target endothelial and tumor cells but also penetrate the endothelial monolayers and tumor cells to reach the core of the tumor spheroids, which was extremely important but mostly ignored in glioma therapy. In vivo imaging further demonstrated that the AsTNP provided the highest tumor distribution and tumor/normal brain ratio. The distribution was also reconfirmed by fluorescent images of the brain slides. As a result, the docetaxel-loaded AsTNP presents the best anti-glioma effect with improved glioma bearing survival. In conclusion, the AsTNP could precisely target to the brain glioma, which was a valuable target for glioma imaging and therapy.

Targeting the brain with PEG-PLGA nanoparticles modified with phage-displayed peptides

The relative impermeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) results from tight junctions and efflux transport systems limits drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS), and thus severely restricts the therapy of many central nervous system diseases. In order to enhance the brain-specific drug delivery, we employed a 12-mer phage display peptide library to isolate peptides that could target the drug delivery system to the brain. A 12-amino-acid-peptide (denoted as Pep TGN) which was displayed by bacteriophage Clone 12-2 was finally selected by rounds of in vivo screening. Pep TGN was covalently conjugated onto the surface of poly (ethyleneglycol)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) based nanoparticles (NPs). The cellular uptake of Pep TGN decorated nanoparticles was significantly higher than that of unmodified nanoparticles when incubated with bEnd.3 cells. Enhanced brain accumulation efficiency together with lower accumulation in liver and spleen was observed in the nude mice intravenously injected with Pep TGN conjugated nanoparticles compared with those injected with plain nanoparticles, showing powerful brain selectivity of Pep TGN. Coumarin 6 was used as a fluorescent probe for the evaluation of brain delivery properties. The brain Drug Targeting Index (DTI) of coumarin 6 incorporated in targeted nanoparticles was significantly higher than that of coumarin 6 incorporated in plain nanoparticles. In conclusion, the Pep TGN is a motif never been reported before and Pep TGN modified nanoparticles showed great potential in targeted drug delivery across the blood brain barrier.

Odorranalectin-conjugated nanoparticles: preparation, brain delivery and pharmacodynamic study on Parkinson's disease following intranasal administration.

Odorranalectin (OL) was recently identified as the smallest lectin with much less immunogenicity than other members of the lectin family. In this study, to improve nose-to-brain drug delivery and reduce the immunogenicity of traditional lectin modified delivery system, OL was conjugated to poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles and its biorecognitive activity on nanoparticles was verified by haemagglutination tests. Nose-to-brain delivery characteristic of OL-conjugated nanoparticles (OL-NP) was investigated by in vivo fluorescence imaging technique using DiR as a tracer. Besides, urocortin peptide (UCN), as a macromolecular model drug, was incorporated into nanoparticles and evaluated for its therapeutic efficacy on hemiparkinsonian rats following intranasal administration by rotation behavior test, neurotransmitter determination and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) test. The results suggested that OL modification increased the brain delivery of nanoparticles and enhanced the therapeutic effects of UCN-loaded nanoparticles on Parkinsons disease. In summary, the OL-NPs could be potentially used as carriers for nose-to-brain drug delivery, especially for macromolecular drugs, in the treatment of CNS disorders.

LDLR-mediated peptide-22-conjugated nanoparticles for dual-targeting therapy of brain glioma.

Chemotherapy for brain glioma has been of limited benefit due to the inability of drugs to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and non-selective drug accumulation in the entire brain. To obviate these limitations, dual-targeting paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles were developed by decoration with peptide-22 (PNP-PTX), a peptide with special affinity for low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), to transport the drug across the BBB, and then target brain tumour cells. Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that LDLR was over-expressed in C6 cells and brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs), but low LDLR expression was observed in H92c(2-1) cells. Nanoparticle uptake demonstrated that peptide-22-decorated nanoparticles significantly increased the cellular uptake of nanoparticles by C6 cells and BCECs but not by H92c(2-1) cells, and excess free peptide-22 significantly inhibited the cellular uptake of PNP by C6 cells and BCECs. Cellular uptake mechanism experiments showed that PNP uptake by both BCECs and C6 cells was energy-dependant and caveolae- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway other than macropinocytosis were involved. Dual-targeting effects in an in vitro BBB model showed that peptide-22 decoration on nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel significantly increased the transport ratio of PTX across the BBB and induced apoptosis of C6 glioma cells below the BBB, and these effects were significantly inhibited by excess free peptide-22. Ex vivo and in vivo fluorescence imaging indicated that PNP labelled with a near-infrared dye could permeate the BBB and accumulate more in the glioma site than unmodified NP. Glioma section observed by fluorescence microscopy further demonstrated PNP distributed more extensively in both glioma bulk and infiltrative region around than unmodified NP. Pharmacodynamics results revealed that the median survival time of glioma-bearing mice administered with dual-targeting PNP-PTX was significantly prolonged compared with that of any other group. TUNEL assay and H&E staining showed that PNP-PTX treatment induced significantly more cell apoptosis and tumour necrosis compared with other treatments. Taken together, these promising results suggested that the dual-targeting drug delivery system might have great potential for glioma therapy in clinical applications.

Whole-cell SELEX aptamer-functionalised poly(ethyleneglycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoparticles for enhanced targeted glioblastoma therapy.

Though there has been substantial advancement in the knowledge about tumour development and treatment in the past 40 years, the prognosis of brain glioblastoma is still very grim due to the difficulty of targeting drugs to glioblastoma cells. An active targeting delivery system helps increase intracellular drug delivery, which is promising for the treatment of glioblastoma. For an active targeting delivery system, targeting ligands are crucial for efficient intracellular drug delivery. Current methods include systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), which has been utilised for selecting specific ligands with better targeting effects. The GMT8 aptamer was a short DNA sequence selected by SELEX that could specifically bind with U87 cells. In this study, nanoparticles functionalised with GMT8 aptamers (ApNP) were utilised for glioblastoma therapy. In vitro cell uptake and U87 tumour spheroid uptake demonstrated that nanoparticles functionalised with GMT8 aptamer significantly enhanced intracellular drug delivery and tumour spheroid penetration. Assays for cell apoptosis and growth inhibition of tumour spheroids identified docetaxel-loaded ApNP to significantly induce cell apoptosis and inhibit tumour spheroid growth. In vivo imaging of glioblastoma-bearing mice demonstrated that ApNP could target glioblastoma and accumulate at the tumour site, which was further verified by fluorescence imaging of brain slices. Pharmacodynamic results indicated that docetaxel-loaded ApNP significantly prolonged the median survival time of glioblastoma-bearing mice compared to NP, DTX and control. In conclusion, GMT8 aptamer-functionalised nanoparticles enhanced tumour penetration and targeted glioblastoma therapy, which is promising for the prognosis of brain glioblastoma.

A water-insoluble drug monolithic osmotic tablet system utilizing gum arabic as an osmotic, suspending and expanding agent

A monolithic osmotic tablet system (MOTS) with two orifices in both side surfaces has been studied. Water-insoluble naproxen was selected as the model drug. Gum arabic was used as an osmotic, suspending and expanding agent, and cellulose acetate (CA) was used as semipermeable membrane. Polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) was employed as plasticizer for controlling membrane porosity. The influences of gum arabic, PEG-400, membrane thickness and orifice size on the naproxen release profiles were investigated, and the optimal MOTS was evaluated in different environment media and stirring rates. The optimal MOTS was found to be able to deliver naproxen at a rate of approximately zero order up to 12 h in pH 6.8, cumulative release at 12 h is 81%, independent on environment media and stirring rate. Therefore, this MOTS can be used in oral drug-controlled delivery field, especially for water-insoluble drug.

The brain targeting efficiency following nasally applied MPEG-PLA nanoparticles in rats

The aim of this study was to encapsulate nimodipine (NM) within methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) (MPEG-PLA) nanoparticles and to investigate its brain targeting efficiency following intranasal administration. NM-loaded nanoparticles, prepared through an emulsion/solvent evaporation technique, were characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, NM loading and in vitro release. The nanoparticles were administered intranasally to rats, and the concentrations of NM in blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissues were monitored. The contribution of the olfactory pathway to the uptake of NM in the brain was determined by calculating the brain/plasma concentration ratios and “brain drug direct transport percentage (DTP)” following intranasal administration of the nanoparticles and the solution formulation. The results showed that MPEG-PLA nanoparticles had a mean particle size of 76.5 ± 7.4 nm, a negative surface charge and a 5.2% NM loading. In vitro release was moderate under sink conditions. The intranasal administration of nanoparticles resulted in a low but constant NM level in plasma. The ratio of AUC values of the nanoparticles to the solution was 1.56 in CSF. The olfactory bulb/plasma and CSF/plasma concentration ratios were significantly higher (P < 0.05) after application of nanoparticles than those of the nasal solution, except the ratio in olfactory bulb at 5 min. Furthermore, nasally administered nanoparticles yielded 1.6–3.3-fold greater DTP values in CSF, olfactory bulb and other brain tissues compared to nasal solution. Thus, MPEG-PLA nanoparticles demonstrated its potential on improving the efficacy of the direct nose–brain transport for drugs.

In situ gel based on gellan gum as new carrier for nasal administration of mometasone furoate

The main purpose of this study was to prepare a novel in situ gel system for nasal delivery of MF and study its efficacy on allergic rhinitis model. An ion-activated in situ gel was developed and characterized with gellan gum as a carrier. The system was stable kept at 40+/-2 degrees C for 6 months, and the micrographic results showed that in situ gel was safety without mucosa irritation when given at 20 microg once daily for 1 month to rats with allergic rhinitis. MF in gellan gum produced obviously effect on allergic rhinitis at the doses of 20 microg/body following intranasal administration, and the efficacy was significantly superior to that of the common suspension (P<0.01). The in situ gel system is a promising approach for the intranasal delivery of MF for the therapeutic effects improvement.

Intranasal nanoparticles of basic fibroblast growth factor for brain delivery to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Disabilities caused by neurodegeneration have become one of the main causes of mortality in elderly population, with drug distribution to the brain remaining one of the most difficult challenges in the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) diseases due to the existence of blood-brain barrier. Lectins modified polyethylene glycol-polylactide-polyglycolide (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles could enhance the drug delivery to the brain following intranasal administration. In this study, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was entrapped in nanoparticles conjugated with Solanum tuberosum lectin (STL), which selectively binds to N-acetylglucosamine on the nasal epithelial membrane for its brain delivery. The resulting nanoparticles had uniform particle size and negative zeta potential. The brain distribution of the formulations following intranasal administration was assessed using radioisotopic tracing method. The areas under the concentration-time curve of (125)I-bFGF in the olfactory bulb, cerebrum, and cerebellum of rats following nasal application of STL modified nanoparticles (STL-bFGF-NP) were 1.79-5.17 folds of that of rats with intravenous administration, and 0.61-2.21 and 0.19-1.07 folds higher compared with intranasal solution and unmodified nanoparticles, respectively. Neuroprotective effect was evaluated using Mirror water maze task in rats with intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid25-35 and ibotenic acid. The spatial learning and memory of Alzheimers disease (AD) rats in STL-bFGF-NP group were significantly improved compared with AD model group, and were also better than other preparations. The results were consistent with the value of choline acetyltransferase activity of rat hippocampus as well as the histological observations of rat hippocampal region. The histopathology assays also confirmed the in vivo safety of STL-bFGF-NP. These results clearly indicated that STL-NP was a promising drug delivery system for peptide and protein drugs such as bFGF to enter the CNS and play the therapeutic role.