Nanoparticulate chemotherapeutic drug transporters for delivery across the blood-brain barrier

This project is aimed towards the preparation and evaluation of polymer-based nanoparticulate vehicles that have an increased lifetime in the circulatory system and facilitate drug delivery (through the blood-brain barrier) to the brain, via specific transport mechanisms. The study will be centred on biodegradable nanoparticles that possess moderate-hydrophilic surfaces and that can be loaded with chemotherapeutic agents known to be active in a range of the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, but normally limited by the blood-brain barrier in reaching their site of action. This work will generate a range of well-characterised nano-formulations whose performance and toxicity will be evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The results generated by this study are expected to bring a significant contribution to the process of developing effective drug targeting technologies.

This project is aimed towards the formulation and evaluation of new polymeric nano-carriers that can overcome the reticulo-endothelial system (RES) phagocytosis and facilitate drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via nanoparticle-mediated transport. The study will be centred on biodegradable nano-sized structures that possess moderate-hydrophilic surfaces and can be loaded with chemotherapeutic agents known to be active in a range of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, but are normally limited by the BBB in reaching the site of action. This work will generate a range of well-characterised nano-formulations whose performance and toxicity will be evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The results generated by this study are expected to bring a significant contribution to the process of developing effective BBB drug targeting technologies.