美国科学家最近研制出一种纳米粒子，可用于运载特定的核糖核酸（RNA）链，关闭脑部一个与毒瘾有关的基因，这将有助于开发出治疗毒瘾的新疗法。
据美国《国家科学院院刊》网络版3月26日报道，过去的研究已发现，一种称为DARPP-32的脑部蛋白质在毒品成瘾过程中起关键作用。经过特别设 计的RNA链可以干扰相关基因，阻止该蛋白质分泌，因此有助于治疗毒瘾，但是缺乏安全有效的方法来将RNA链运送到所需要的部位。
美国纽约州立大学布法罗分校的科学家说，他们设计出一种杆状的纳米粒子，可以作为“运输工具”搭载治疗所需的RNA链，穿过血液与脑组织之间的屏障进入脑细胞。
实验表明，搭载在这种纳米粒子上的RNA链，有48%能穿过血脑屏障，效率比以往方法大大提高。
报道说，利用这种纳米粒子运载其他RNA链，还可治疗帕金森氏症、癌症及一些神经性疾病。该研究小组的一些科学家还将尝试用这种方法治疗艾滋病、痴呆症和哮喘等。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原始出处：
PNAS，doi: 10.1073/pnas.0901715106 ，Adela C. Bonoiu，Paras N. Prasad
Nanotechnology approach for drug addiction therapy: Gene silencing using delivery of gold nanorod-siRNA nanoplex in dopaminergic neurons
Adela C. Bonoiua,1, Supriya D. Mahajanb,1, Hong Dinga, Indrajit Roya, Ken-Tye Yonga, Rajiv Kumara, Rui Hua, Earl J. Bergeya, Stanley A. Schwartzb and Paras N. Prasada,2
aInstitute for Lasers Photonics and Biophotonics, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260; and
bDepartment of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, The State University of New York, Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY 14203
Drug abuse is a worldwide health concern in which addiction involves activation of the dopaminergic signaling pathway in the brain. Here, we introduce a nanotechnology approach that utilizes gold nanorod-DARPP-32 siRNA complexes (nanoplexes) that target this dopaminergic signaling pathway in the brain. The shift in the localized longitudinal plasmon resonance peak of gold nanorods (GNRs) was used to show their interaction with siRNA. Plasmonic enhanced dark field imaging was used to visualize the uptake of these nanoplexes in dopaminergic neurons in vitro. Gene silencing of the nanoplexes in these cells was evidenced by the reduction in the expression of key proteins (DARPP-32, ERK, and PP-1) belonging to this pathway, with no observed cytotoxicity. Moreover, these nanoplexes were shown to transmigrate across an in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Therefore, these nanoplexes appear to be suited for brain-specific delivery of appropriate siRNA for therapy of drug addiction and other brain diseases.
source:生物谷
