Engineering Delivery of Nonbiologics Using Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles for Repair of Disrupted Brain Endothelium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to alter the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Blunt force or explosive blast impacting the brain can cause neurological sequelae through the mechanisms that remain yet to be fully elucidated. For example, shockwaves propagating through the brain have been shown to create a mechanical trauma that may disrupt the BBB. Indeed, using tissue engineering approaches, the shockwave-induced mechanical injury has been shown to modulate the organization and permeability of the endothelium tight junctions. Because an injury to the brain endothelium typically induces a high expression of E-selectin, we postulated that upregulation of this protein after an injury can be exploited for diagnosis and potential therapy through targeted nanodelivery to the injured brain endothelium. To test this hypothesis, we engineered poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles to encapsulate therapeutic nonbiologics and decorated them with ligands to specifically target the E-selectin. A high level of the conjugated nanoparticles was found inside the injured cells. Repair of the injury site was then quantitatively measured and analyzed. To summarize, exploiting the tunable properties of PLGA, a targeted drug delivery strategy has been developed and validated, which combines the specificity of ligand/receptor interaction with therapeutic reagents. Such a strategy could be used to provide a potential theragnostic approach for the treatment of modulated brain endothelium associated with TBI.