title: The effect of nanoparticle size on the probability to cross the blood-brain barrier: an in-vitro endothelial cell model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last decade nanoparticles have gained attention as promising drug delivery agents that can transport through the blood brain barrier. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that specifically targeted nanoparticles which carry a large payload of therapeutic agents can effectively enhance therapeutic agent delivery to the brain. However, it is difficult to draw definite design principles across these studies, owing to the differences in material, size, shape and targeting agents of the nanoparticles. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop general design principles that link the size of the nanoparticle with the probability to cross the blood brain barrier. Specifically, we investigate the effect of the nanoparticle size on the probability of barbiturate coated GNPs to cross the blood brain barrier by using bEnd.3 brain endothelial cells as an in vitro blood brain barrier model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that GNPs of size 70 nm are optimal for the maximum amount of gold within the brain cells, and that 20 nm GNPs are the optimal size for maximum free surface area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings can help understand the effect of particle size on the ability to cross the blood brain barrier through the endothelial cell model, and design nanoparticles for brain imaging/therapy contrast agents.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. malkashilo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Malka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shilo
authors.affiliation: The Department of Chemistry & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. anati266@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharon
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. baranesk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Koby
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baranes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. motieim@eng.biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motiei
authors.affiliation: The Department of Chemistry & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. Jean-Paul.M.Lellouche@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul M
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lellouche
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering & the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel. rachela.popovtzer@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Rachela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popovtzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010316:Particle Size; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D001463:Barbiturates; C032232:barbituric acid