1 research outputs found
Bonding of Neuropeptide Y on Graphene Oxide for Drug Delivery Applications to the Central Nervous System
Nanoscale graphene-based materials (GBMs) enable targeting
subcellular
structures of the nervous system, a feature crucial for the successful
engineering of alternative nanocarriers to deliver drugs and to treat
neurodisorders. Among GBMs, graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes, showing
good dispersibility in water solution and being rich of functionalizable
oxygen groups, are ideal core structures for carrying biological active
molecules to the brain, such as the neuropeptide Y (NPY). In addition,
when unconjugated, these nanomaterials have been reported to modulate
neuronal function per se. Although some GBM-based
nanocarriers have been tested both in vitro and in vivo, a thorough
characterization of covalent binding impact on the biological properties
of the carried molecule and/or of the nanomaterial is still missing.
Here, a copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne–azide cycloaddition strategy
was employed to synthesize the GO–NPY complex. By investigating
through electrophysiology the impact of these conjugates on the activity
of hippocampal neurons, we show that the covalent modification of
the nanomaterial, while making GO an inert platform for the vectorized
delivery, enhances the duration of NPY pharmacological activity. These
findings support the future use of GO for the development of smart
platforms for nervous system drug delivery