Development of novel therapeutic system for Alzheimer's disease using foreign body response to nanoparticles

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15364
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 27040:Biofunction and bioprocess engineering-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Seiichi 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 准教授 (40723284)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: アミロイドβ / 医用ナノ粒子 / バイオマーカー / ターゲティング / アルツハイマー病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Use of nanoparticles for drug delivery has been straggling with the foreign body response from immune system. By turning this challenge into advantage, we aimed to develop a novel therapeutic system for Alzheimer’s disease via targeting nanoparticles to Aβ, considered as an origin of Alzheimer’s disease, to enhance its elimination by immune system. Congo-red (CR), clinically available Aβ-binding dye, was modified to the surface of gold nanoparticles to render the Aβ targeting ability. The obtained particles successfully bound to Aβ aggregates, dissociated them, and enhanced their uptake by immune cells via phagocytosis.

Free Research Field

医用化学工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アルツハイマー病の治療薬として抗Aβ抗体が期待されている一方、その治療効果はまだ十分とは言えず、さらに抗体の価格が高いことも課題点として挙げられる。本研究で開発されたAβ標的ナノ粒子は、抗Aβ抗体に代わる、新たな概念のアルツハイマー病の治療薬として期待される。さらに、本研究で用いたCR及びAuNPはともに臨床での使用実績があり安価であるため、臨床へのスムーズな実装が期待される。