JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Neuroscience
0 views • 1:33 min • August 7th, 2025
Take cultures of human monocyte-derived microglia-like cells.
Introduce nanoparticles containing an anti-inflammatory drug into the experimental culture and the free drug into the control.
The nanoparticles feature a hydrophilic shell and a hydrophobic core encapsulating the lipophilic drug.
The cells endocytose the nanoparticles, which release the drug intracellularly, enhancing its delivery.
The free drug enters by passive diffusion, a process constrained by the concentration gradient, which results in lower intracellular concentrations.
Add a bacterial antigen that binds to toll-like receptors and triggers pro-inflammatory cytokine release.
Incubate the cultures with fresh medium containing the nanoparticles in the experimental group and the free drug in the control.
This second exposure ensures consistent therapeutic drug levels via nanoparticle delivery, thereby inducing downstream signaling that suppresses cytokine production.
Limited uptake of the free drug results in a subtherapeutic intracellular concentration.
Collect the supernatant to assess cytokine levels and evaluate the enhanced therapeutic effect of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery.