(725a) Efficient Delivery of Nerve Growth Factors to the Central Nervous System for Neural Regeneration
AIChE Annual Meeting
2019
2019 AIChE Annual Meeting
Food, Pharmaceutical & Bioengineering Division
Drug Delivery III
Thursday, November 14, 2019 - 3:30pm to 3:48pm
The central nervous system (CNS) plays a central role in the control of sensory and motor functions, and the disruption of its barriers can result in severe and debilitating neurological disorders. Neurotrophins are promising therapeutic agents for neural regeneration in the damaged CNS. However, their penetration across the bloodâbrain barrier remains a formidable challenge, representing a bottleneck for brain and spinal cord therapy. Herein, we report a nanocapsuleâbased delivery system that enables intravenously injected nerve growth factor (NGF) to enter the CNS in healthy mice and nonâhuman primate. In pathological conditions, the delivery of NGF enables neural regeneration, tissue remodeling, and functional recovery in mice with spinal cord injury. This technology can be utilized to deliver other neurotrophins and growth factors to the CNS, opening a new avenue for tissue engineering and the treatment of CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.