Studies on Aggregated Nanoparticles Steering during Deep Brain Membrane Crossing

Many central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), affect the deep brain region, which hinders their effective treatment. The hippocampus, a deep brain area critical for learning and memory, is especially vulnerable to damage during early stages of AD. Magnetic drug targeting has shown high potential in delivering drugs to a targeted disease site effectively by applying a strong electromagnetic force. This study illustrates a nanotechnology-based scheme for delivering magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) to the deep brain region. First, we developed a mathematical model and a molecular dynamic simulation to analyze membrane crossing, and to study the effects of particle size, aggregation, and crossing velocities. Then, using in vitro experiments, we studied effective parameters in aggregation. We have also studied the process and environmental parameters. We have demonstrated that aggregation size can be controlled when particles are subjected to external electromagnetic fields. Our simulations and experimental studies can be used for capturing MNPs in brain, the transport of particles across the intact BBB and deep region targeting. These results are in line with previous in vivo studies and establish an effective strategy for deep brain region targeting with drug loaded MNPs through the application of an external electromagnetic field.

Lipopharmaceuticals- A Critical Review Focused on Recent Advances in Liposomal Drug Delivery

The first nanoscale drug to be approved for clinical use in 1995 was known as a liposome. Since then, the technology has grown substantially, and current work on liposome drug delivery systems has revoluted remarkable developments with significant clinical implications. Liposomal drug delivery includes long-circulating liposomes, stealth liposomes, nebulized liposomes, and elastic liposomes for topical, oral, and transdermal delivery, and covalent lipid-drug complexes for improved drug plasma membrane crossing and targeting to specific organelles and other recent advancements. This review is based on the liposomal drug delivery system, its introduction, classification, methods of preparation, types of targeting the liposomal drug delivery, applications, recent advancements in liposomes, and its application.

Designing membrane-reshaping nanostructures through artificial evolution

In this paper we combine the rules of natural evolution with molecular dynamics simulations to design a nanostructure with a desired function. We apply this scheme to the case of a ligand-covered nanoparticle and evolve ligand patterns that promote efficient cell uptake. Surprisingly, we find that in the regime of low ligand number the fittest structures are characterised by ligands arranged into long one-dimensional chains that pattern the surface of the particle. We show that these chains of ligands provide particles with high rotational freedom and they lower the free energy barrier for membrane crossing. This demonstrates the efficacy of artificial evolution to identify non-intuitive design rules and reveals a new principle of design that can be used to inform artificial nanoparticle construction and the search for inhibitors of viral entry.