Live In-Vivo Neuroimaging Reveals the Transport of Lipophilic Cargo Through the Blood-Retina Barrier with Modified Amphiphilic Poly-N-Vinylpyrrolidone Nanoparticles

The blood-retina barrier (BRB), analogous to the blood-brain barrier, is a major hurdle for the passage of drugs from the blood to the central nervous system. Here, we designed polymeric nanoparticles from amphiphilic poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone (Amph-PVP NPs) as a new carrier-system and investigated their ability to pass the BRB using a live in-vivo neuroimaging system for the retina in rats and ex-vivo wholemounted retinae preparation. Amph-PVP NPs were loaded with hydrophobic fluorescent markers as a surrogate for hydrophobic drugs. Linking these NPs with the hydrophobic fluorescence marker Carboxyfluorescein-succinimidyl-ester (CFSE) to the surface, induced the passage of the cargo into the retina tissue. In particular, we observed a substantial internalization of the CFSE-linked NPs into blood cells. We propose surface-modified Amph-PVP NPs as a potential new nano-carrier platform to target posterior eye and potentially brain diseases while camouflaged by blood cells.

Automated summary

The study designed amphiphilic poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles as a carrier system to investigate their ability to pass the blood-retina barrier and deliver fluorescent markers in the retina tissue. The results showed effective passage of the nanoparticles through the barrier and internalization in the blood cells, suggesting their potential as a new nano-carrier platform for targeting posterior eye and potentially brain diseases.