Premium
Vectorization of proteins across the blood–brain barrier: high transcytosis of melanotransferrin (P97)
Author(s) -
Béliveau R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.85.s2.7_4.x
Subject(s) - transcytosis , blood–brain barrier , endocytosis , microbiology and biotechnology , transferrin receptor , tight junction , transferrin , biology , barrier function , chemistry , receptor , biochemistry , neuroscience , central nervous system
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) performs a neuroprotective function by tightly controlling access to the brain. There is little transit across the BBB of large, hydrophilic molecules asides from some specific proteins which are taken up be receptor‐mediated endocytosis. Since melanotransferrin (P97) levels are very low in normal serum, we investigated whether P97 may cross the BBB to a greater extent than do other proteins. We thus observed that recombinant human P97 is highly accumulated into the mouse brain following intravenous injection and in situ brain perfusion. Moreover, P97 transcytosis across bovine brain capillary endothelial cell (BBCEC) monolayers is at least 14‐fold higher than that of transferrin, with no apparent changes in the BBCEC monolayer integrity. The brain accumulation, high rate of P97 transcytosis and its very low level in the blood suggest that P97 could be used as a new delivery system to target drugs directly to the brain.