Neural Nanotechnology (Gan/Mucke labs)

Microglia are resident immune cells in the brain, responsible for the innate immune response. They become readily activated in response to brain injuries in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, leading to release of a variety of soluble factors, which could be proinflammatory in nature and potentially cytotoxic. Microglia activation could also play a beneficial role by clearing cell debris or toxic protein aggregates, such as amyloid beta deposits, possibly through phagocytosis.

Thus, it is critical to pinpoint the role of microglia activation in neurodegeneration in specific pathophysiological situations through specific targeting. In preliminary studies, nanoparticles have been created to visualize and modulate microglia in culture and in mouse brains with high specificity.

The recent results suggest that chemically modified nanoparticles offer a unique approach for specific modulation of microglia. Indeed, having accessibility to a micro/nano facility has greatly improved the capability of making and characterizing custom-designed nanoparticles for specific targeting of microglia.