Kyle Storey
School of Medicine
Can ‘ stealth ’ coatings for therapeutic nanoparticles prevent inflammatory responses by the brain ’ s immune cells ?
Nanoparticles are versatile medical tools with potential for treating conditions such as Alzheimer ’ s disease or stroke . Nanoparticles can be manufactured from various materials , including metals or organic molecules , and can physically enter cells ( nanoparticles being < 0.001 mm , cells ~ 0.03 mm ). Functionalised nanoparticles can facilitate drug delivery , labelling / tracking of transplanted cells , or destruction of cancer cells . Ideally , nanoparticles would be injected into the bloodstream , then enter the brain . However , immune cells can remove nanoparticles from the bloodstream , preventing therapeutic benefit . ‘ Stealth ’ coated nanoparticles may evade this clearance , improving delivery to the brain . Clinical translation is delayed by the lack of data surrounding how brain-specific immune cells ( microglia and astrocytes ) interact with nanoparticles , especially ‘ stealth ’ coated nanoparticles . This project involves a systematic analysis of neuro-immune responses to ‘ stealth ’ and non-stealth nanoparticles , noting nanoparticle size , shape , surface charge and other physicochemical properties . Nanoparticle uptake by cells , toxicity and inflammation will be compared , where data are available . If particular properties are associated with a lack of toxicity and inflammation , experimental nanoparticles will be designed with these features , and tested with neural cell cultures . This review , and any experimental data gathered , could inform nanoparticle design for translating nanoparticle-mediated therapies to the clinic .
Postgraduate Conference 2020 Page 42