Drug-Carrying "Nanoswimmers"...Past the Brain's Cellular Defenses

      Imagine if you had a life threatening diseases and disorders. Imagine if conventional medicine would not treat it without damaging other parts of your body, or not being able to treat it at all. Suddenly, your disease becomes terminal or your treatment has severe side-effects, that is until now.
      Scientists at University College London have successfully developed self-driven "nano-swimmers" that mimic the cell membrane. The significance behind this development is found in the structure of the nano-swimmers. They are created out of lipid polymers that are similar to the cell membrane, allowing them to penetrate the membrane by repelling water on one end and attracting it on the other. Because of this, the nano-swimmers can become optimal carriers for doctors to administer enzymes, genes and medications to normally inaccessible areas of the body, such as the brain.
      Researchers conducted an experiment to test the carrying abilities of the nano-swimmers. Researchers combined the nano-swimmers with a endothelial cell abundant protein called LRP1 that is the primary building block in the brain's blood barrier. Due to the ability of LRP1 to bind to barrier's membrane, the nano-carriers that were combined the the LRP1 protein were able to get past the blood barrier and penetrate the brain. This allows the nano-swimmer to localize the drug that it is carrying, delivering it straight to the affected area as opposed to conventional treatments such as chemo and radiation that, while targeted, still affect a wide area of healthy cells.
      I found this article interesting because I know several people who are affected by brain tumors and brain disorders, me being one of them. For us, we could have a more normal life. Treatment would no longer have to be administered in a way that allows it to be metabolized by the entire body as opposed to the affected area. Instead, treatments and medications would be able to be sent a targeted, specific part of the brain, making treatments more localized and effective. These nano-swimmers are revolutionary and can one day, with further testing, help those who face life threatening disorders and diseases receive localized treatment.

Source:
Costandi, M. (2017, August 07). Drug-Carrying "Nanoswimmers" Could Slither Past the Brain's Cellular Defenses. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drug-carrying-ldquo-nanoswimmers-rdquo-could-slither-past-the-brain-rsquo-s-cellular-defenses/

JG