Lactoferrin-modified nanoparticles could mediate efficient gene delivery to the brain in vivo.

Lactoferrin (Lf)-modified nanoparticles (NPs) have been demonstrated to mediate efficient expression of exogenous genes in the brain via intravenous administration. The brain-targeting properties of Lf-modified NPs were investigated in this study. In vivo imaging results showed that the accumulation of Lf-modified NPs was higher in the brain but lower in the other organs than that of unmodified counterparts. The results of analytical transmission electron microscopy showed that some Lf-modified NPs crossed the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reached the neural tissues, while some remained within the BBB. Similar results were observed in the distribution of exogenous gene products. All the results demonstrated the successful delivery of Lf-modified NPs into the brain. Lf-modified NPs could be exploited as potential brain-targeting delivery systems for exogenous genes, especially for those encoding secretive proteins.