Blood-Nanoparticle Interactions Create a Brain Delivery Superhighway for Doxorubicin

This study investigated the brain targeting mechanism of doxorubicin-loaded polybutyl cyanoacrylate (PBCA) nanoparticles, particularly their interactions with the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB protects the brain from drugs in the bloodstream and represents a crucial obstacle in the treatment of brain cancer.

An advanced computer model analyzed the brain delivery of two distinct formulations, Doxil^® and surfactant-coated PBCA nanoparticles. Computational learning was combined with in vitro release and cell interaction studies to comprehend the underlying brain delivery pathways.

Our analysis yielded a surprising discovery regarding the brain delivery mechanism of PBCA nanoparticles. While Doxil^® exhibited the expected behavior, accumulating in the brain through extravasation in tumor tissue, PBCA nanoparticles employed a unique and previously uncharacterized mechanism. They underwent cell hitchhiking, resulting in a remarkable more than 1000-fold increase in brain permeation rate compared to Doxil^® (2.59 × 10^-4 vs 0.32 h^-1).

The nonspecific binding to blood cells facilitated and intensified interactions of surfactant-coated PBCA nanoparticles with the vascular endothelium, leading to enhanced transcytosis. Consequently, the significant increase in circulation time in the bloodstream, coupled with improved receptor interactions, contributes to this remarkable uptake of doxorubicin into the brain.