Functionalization with PEG/Angiopep-2 peptide to improve the delivery of gold nanoprisms to central nervous system: in vitro and in vivo studies.

One of main drawbacks for the treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies is ensuring the delivery of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system (CNS). Nowadays, gold nanoprisms (GNPr) have become an emerging nanomaterial with a localized surface plasmon resonance in the biological window, showing applications in both detection and treatment of diseases. In this work, GNPr were functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Angiopep-2 (Ang2) peptide to obtain a new highly stable nanomaterial and evaluate its toxicity and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a zebrafish larvae model.