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Drugs catch a ride through the blood–brain barrier

Nature Biotechnology volume 41, pages 1182–1184 (2023)Cite this article

A new era of brain-penetrant therapies is opening up, as companies hook up drugs to transferrin receptors or use viral capsids to hitch a ride into previously inaccessible regions.

One solution to brain delivery is to co-opt the brain’s iron transport mechanisms. The transferrin receptor (TfR1) is one example. TfR1 (CD71) is highly expressed on cerebrovascular endothelial cells, and scientists have long pursued the idea of using it as a ‘Trojan horse’ to carry molecules across.

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  1. Dublin, Ireland

    Cormac Sheridan

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  1. Cormac Sheridan
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Sheridan, C. Drugs catch a ride through the blood–brain barrier. Nat Biotechnol 41, 1182–1184 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01936-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01936-z

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