University of South Florida researchers have successfully delivered an anti-inflammatory drug to the lower lungs of rats by injecting a formulation of Sertolli cells, chitosan nanoparticles, and curcumin into the rats’ tails. Over 90% of the drug reached the pulmonary circulatory system within 15 minutes of injection.
Sertolli cells, which are found in the testes, have immunosuppressive properties, minimizing the possibility of rejection. A second article, also published in Cell Transplantation, describes an in vitro method for growing Sertolli cells taken from cadavers.
“These two studies describe a set of conditions for expanding human sertoli cells in vitro from deceased organ/tissue donors and a potential use for the cells (this time taken from rats)” said Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Director of the Cell Transplant Center and Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami. “While the second paper covers the potential use of sertoli cells as vectors for the delivery of specific factors to the deep areas of the lung, these cells may also be beneficial as delivery systems for other disorders. This will require further investigation.”
Read the full article.
Read a Cell Transplantation press release.
