Ktenate nanoparticles (bdellosomes): a novel strategy for delivering drugs to parasites or tumours

Specific delivery of substances to distinct target cells may lead to new perspectives in diagnosis and therapy. We developed a drug delivery system based on nanoparticles made of polyvinyl alcohol grafted with polylactide side chains terminating in amino groups. These particles, termed “bdellosomes”, were loaded with substances of pharmacological interest, coated with polyethyleneglycol-3400 to evade immune reactions and linked to target-specific ligands, such as transferrin or anti-transferrin receptor-antibody fragments. In vivo distribution studied showed a prolonged circulation time of the PEGylated (polyethylene glycol-linked) particles compared to non-PEGylated controls. The nanoparticles were capable of specifically and efficiently delivering their content both to neoplastic cells and to eukaryotic parasites. Tests with daunomycin were performed on Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Jurkat (human T-lymphoma cells) as model targets. When the particles were linked to transferrin or the transferrin receptor-antibody fragments, a significant cytotoxic effect of the daunomycin loaded particles could be observed, which was absent when the particles were not linked to the cell specific ligand. Thus, bdellosomes present a novel drug delivery systems with the potential of drug targeting.