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Nanoparticle-Based Delivery to Treat Spinal Cord Injury—a Mini-review

  • Mini-Review
  • Theme: NIPTE Research and Perspective: Advances in Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery
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Abstract

There is an increasing need to develop improved and non-invasive strategies to treat spinal cord injury (SCI). Nanoparticles (NPs) are an enabling technology to improve drug delivery, modulate inflammatory responses, and restore functional responses following SCI. However, the complex pathophysiology associated with SCI presents several distinct challenges that must be overcome for sufficient NP drug delivery to the spinal cord. The objective of this mini-review is to highlight the physiological challenges and cell types available for modulation and discuss several promising advancements using NPs to improve SCI treatment. We will focus our discussion on recent innovative approaches in NP drug delivery and how the implementation of multifactorial approaches to address the proinflammatory and complex immune dysfunction in SCI offers significant potential to improve outcomes in SCI.

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Funding

This work was supported by startup funds by the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the New Investigator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), and the University of Maryland Baltimore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Accelerated Translational Incubator Pilot Grant (NIH #1UL1TR003098) awarded to R.M.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 N. Pine Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA

    Atanu Chakraborty & Ryan M. Pearson

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, 1251 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33156, USA

    Andrew J. Ciciriello & Courtney M. Dumont

  3. Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at the University of Miami (BioNIUM), University of Miami, 1951 NW Seventh Avenue Suite 475, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA

    Andrew J. Ciciriello & Courtney M. Dumont

  4. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore Street, Maryland, 21201, Baltimore, USA

    Ryan M. Pearson

  5. Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA

    Ryan M. Pearson

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  1. Atanu Chakraborty
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  2. Andrew J. Ciciriello
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  3. Courtney M. Dumont
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Correspondence to Courtney M. Dumont or Ryan M. Pearson.

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Atanu Chakraborty and Andrew J. Ciciriello are co-first authors.

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Chakraborty, A., Ciciriello, A.J., Dumont, C.M. et al. Nanoparticle-Based Delivery to Treat Spinal Cord Injury—a Mini-review. AAPS PharmSciTech 22, 101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12249-021-01975-2

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