ESR 10 vision / project

ESR 10: 09.10.2020

Exploring CD4+ T cells as carriers to mediate transport of drugs across the blood-brain barrier

Project Results

Different conjugation approaches to immobilize dye loaded polymersomes on the surface of Jurkat cells and SJL-PLP7 cells were established and compared to each other regarding the amount of surface immobilized polymersomes, viability and proliferation of the polymersome T cell conjugates as well as the binding of polymersome decorated SJL-PLP7 to ICAM-1 coated surfaces. The best immobilization strategy of polymersomes on the surface of T cells regarding polymersome surface concentration and viability of the cells was shown to be based on the binding of NeutrAvidin coated polymersomes to surface biotinylated cells. Finally, the delivery of nanoparticles to the brain parenchyma utilizing SJL-PLP7 cells decorated with surface bound polystyrene based nanoparticles was confirmed in first preliminary in-vivo studies.

Title of PhD thesis

Surface engineering of T cells with polymer nanoparticles to enhance drug delivery to the brain

Current position

Scientist at Vifor Pharma (Glattbrugg, CH)

BtRAIN publications

M. Ayer, M. Schuster, I. Gruber, C. Blatti, E. Kaba, G. Enzmann, O. Burri, R. Guiet, A. Seitz, B. Engelhardt, H.-A. Klok, T Cell-Mediated transport of polymer nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier, Adv. Healthcare Mater. 2021, 10, 2001375.