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Article

A Peptide-Based Nanocarrier for an Enhanced Delivery and Targeting of Flurbiprofen into the Brain for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An In Vitro Study

1
Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, School of Pharmacy and Bimolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK
2
College of Pharmacy, University of Babylon, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Hilla 51002, Iraq
3
Tissue Click Ltd., Brighton BN2 6SJ, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(8), 1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081590
Submission received: 11 June 2020 / Revised: 31 July 2020 / Accepted: 5 August 2020 / Published: 13 August 2020

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related disease caused by abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β in the brain leading to progressive tissue degeneration. Flurbiprofen (FP), a drug used to mitigate the disease progression, has low efficacy due to its limited permeability across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). In a previous work, FP was coupled at the uppermost branching of an ε-lysine-based branched carrier, its root presenting a phenylalanine moiety able to increase the hydrophobicity of the complex and enhance the transport across the BBB by adsorptive-mediated transcytosis (AMT). The present study explores a different molecular design of the FP-peptide delivery system, whereby its root presents an ApoE-mimicking peptide, a targeting ligand that could enhance transport across the BBB by receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT). The functionalised complex was synthesised using a solid-phase peptide synthesis and characterised by mass spectrometry and FTIR. Cytotoxicity and permeability of this complex across an in vitro BBB model were analysed. Moreover, its activity and degradation to release the drug were investigated. The results revealed successful synthesis and grafting of FP molecules at the uppermost molecular branches of the lysine terminal without observed cytotoxicity. When covalently linked to the nanocarrier, FP was still active on target cells, albeit with a reduced activity, and was released as a free drug upon hydrolysis in a lysosome-mimicking medium. Noticeably, this work shows the high efficiency of RMT-driven FP delivery over delivery systems relying on AMT.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; neurodegenerative diseases; blood–brain barrier; ApoE-peptide; drug delivery system; flurbiprofen Alzheimer’s disease; neurodegenerative diseases; blood–brain barrier; ApoE-peptide; drug delivery system; flurbiprofen

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MDPI and ACS Style

Al-azzawi, S.; Masheta, D.; Guildford, A.; Phillips, G.; Santin, M. A Peptide-Based Nanocarrier for an Enhanced Delivery and Targeting of Flurbiprofen into the Brain for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An In Vitro Study. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1590. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081590

AMA Style

Al-azzawi S, Masheta D, Guildford A, Phillips G, Santin M. A Peptide-Based Nanocarrier for an Enhanced Delivery and Targeting of Flurbiprofen into the Brain for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An In Vitro Study. Nanomaterials. 2020; 10(8):1590. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081590

Chicago/Turabian Style

Al-azzawi, Shafq, Dhafir Masheta, Anna Guildford, Gary Phillips, and Matteo Santin. 2020. "A Peptide-Based Nanocarrier for an Enhanced Delivery and Targeting of Flurbiprofen into the Brain for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An In Vitro Study" Nanomaterials 10, no. 8: 1590. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081590

APA Style

Al-azzawi, S., Masheta, D., Guildford, A., Phillips, G., & Santin, M. (2020). A Peptide-Based Nanocarrier for an Enhanced Delivery and Targeting of Flurbiprofen into the Brain for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: An In Vitro Study. Nanomaterials, 10(8), 1590. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081590

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