title: NTS-Polyplex: a potential nanocarrier for neurotrophic therapy of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Nanomedicine has focused on targeted neurotrophic gene delivery to the brain as a strategy to stop and reverse neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. Because of improved transfection ability, synthetic nanocarriers have become candidates for neurotrophic therapy. Neurotensin (NTS)-polyplex is a "Trojan horse" synthetic nanocarrier system that enters dopaminergic neurons through NTS receptor internalization to deliver a genetic cargo. The success of preclinical studies with different neurotrophic genes supports the possibility of using NTS-polyplex in nanomedicine. In this review, we describe the mechanism of NTS-polyplex transfection. We discuss the concept that an effective neurotrophic therapy requires a simultaneous effect on the axon terminals and soma of the remaining dopaminergic neurons. We also discuss the future of this strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This review paper focuses on nanomedicine-based treatment of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition with existing symptomatic but no curative treatment. Neurotensin-polyplex is a synthetic nanocarrier system that enables delivery of genetic cargo to dopaminergic neurons via NTS receptor internalization.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, México D.F., México. dmartine@fisio.cinvestav.mx
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez-Fong
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bannon
authors.forename: Louis-Eric
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Trudeau
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Barrios
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Arango-Rodriguez
authors.forename: Nancy G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Chan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reyes-Corona
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armendáriz-Borunda
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Navarro-Quiroga
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D009496:Neurotensin; D004247:DNA