Brain-Targeted Nanoparticles for Treating Parkinson’s Disease: Design Principles and Application

Avi Schroeder is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, where he heads the Laboratory for Targeted Drug Delivery and Personalized Medicine Technologies (https://www.schroederlab.com/ ).  

Dr. Schroeder conducted his Postdoctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and his PhD jointly at the Hebrew and Ben Gurion Universities. Avi is the recipient of more than 30 national and international awards, including being named a KAVLI Fellow, the Intel Nanotechnology-, TEVA Pharmaceuticals-, and the Wolf Foundation Krill Awards. Avi is the author of more than 60 papers, the inventor of 19 patents, and co-founder of multiple startup companies based on these discoveries.

Schroeder is a former member of the Israel Young National Academy of Sciences, is a current member of Israel’s National Council for Civilian Research and Development, and the President-elect of the Controlled Release Society (CRS). 

Presentation Abstract: 
Nanotechnology holds numerous potential benefits for treating disease, including the ability to transport complex molecular cargoes, including RNA and proteins, as well as targeting specific tissues, including the brain. Brain-targeted nanoparticles enhance the delivery of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into neurons, thereby allowing the intracellular and extracellular treatment of Parkinson’s disease. 100-nm BTL cross human BBB models intact and are taken up by primary neurons. Within neurons, SynO4 is released from the nanoparticles and bound to its target - alpha-synuclein (AS), thereby reducing AS aggregation, and enhancing neuronal viability. In vivo, intravenous administration results in a seven-fold increase in mAbs in brain cells, decreasing AS aggregation and neuroinflammation and improving mice's behavioral motor function and learning ability. Targeted nanotechnologies offer a valuable platform for drug delivery to treat brain neurodegeneration.

The evolution of drug delivery systems into synthetic cells, programmed nanoparticles with an autonomous syn-bio capacity to synthesize diagnostic and therapeutic proteins inside the body, and their promise for treating disease will be discussed.

References: 
1. Theranostic barcoded nanoparticles for personalized cancer medicine, Yaari et al. Nature Communications, 2016, 7, 13325
2. Synthetic cells with self-activating optogenetic proteins communicate with natural cells, Adir et al. Nature Communications, 2022, 13, 2328
3. Brain‐Targeted Liposomes Loaded with Monoclonal Antibodies Reduce Alpha‐Synuclein Aggregation and Improve Behavioral Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease, Advanced Materials, 2304654, 2023
 

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