Nanoparticles as a novel class of anti-bacterial

Anti-bacterial drug often acts by disrupting the double layer of cellular membrane that is negatively charged. These molecules contain positive groups and an hydrophobic core, important to insert into the membrane. In order to specifically overcome the blood brain barrier and reach the brain, some researchers of the University of Singapore studied a novel particle constituting of an hydrophobic core and a strain of positively charged arginine. Tat sequence, derived from HIV virus, was used to vehicle the molecule over the blood brain barrier because TAT protein mediates the passage of proteins across the endothelial cells.

Furthermore, cholesterol was added to increase the capability to penetrate into the membrane and to concentrate the active peptide. So, the final structure of this peptide nanoparticle is Cholesterol- 3 glycine, as a spacer- 6 arginine- TAT protein. In vitro, this peptide killed fungi, bacteria and yeast and showed an important activity also in vivo in rabbit infected with S. Aureus, meningitis’s vector, by overcoming the blood brain barrier. This study opens new perspectives on nanoparticle engineering that could be applied in a broad range of diseases: for instance in cancer or in other situation in which is crucial to target a specific type of cells.