Application of biologically active micelles in drug delivery across the Blood-Brain barrier

Abstract

The blood brain barrier (BBB) prohibits most foreign molecules entering from the blood to brain, including central nervous system (CNS) drugs. The present study developed a novel biological drug carrier system using a physiologic based strategy. Antibiotic molecules have been encapsulated into a newly designed core shell structured nanoparticle vector, consisting of a core-shell micelle (formed by hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain and hydrophobic b-cholesterol molecules) and a surface transactivator of transcription (TAT) peptide, by chemical or physical force. The basic features of the system have been analyzed in vitro, such as cytotoxicity and cell uptake and drug release. The capability of the designed carrier system to cross the BBB and target brain cells has been studied in the in vivo model. The nanoparticles of TAT-PEG-b-Chol have been demonstrated to be a promising carrier for drug delivery across the BBB in the future clinical therapy for brain diseases and injuries.