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Microfluidic-based platform to mimic the in vivo peripheral administration of neurotropic nanoparticles
Cátia Df Lopes1,2,3, Carla P Gomes1,2,4, Estrela Neto1,2,3
1INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Aim:
Propose a nanoparticle for neuron-targeted retrograde gene delivery and describe a microfluidic-based culture system to provide insight into vector performance and safety.
Methods:
Using compartmentalized neuron cultures we dissected nanoparticle bioactivity upon delivery taking advantage of (quantitative) bioimaging tools.
Results:
Targeted and nontargeted nanoparticles were internalized at axon terminals and retrogradely transported to cell bodies at similar average velocities but the former have shown an axonal flux 2.7-times superior to nontargeted nanoparticles, suggesting an improved cargo-transportation efficiency. The peripheral administration of nanoparticles to axon terminals is nontoxic as compared with their direct administration to the cell body or whole neuron.
Conclusion:
A neuron-targeted nanoparticle system was put forward. Microfluidic-based neuron cultures are proposed as a powerful tool to investigate nanoparticle bio-performance.
