PNNL

Abstract

The application of nanotechnology to pharmaceutical needs, such as drug or sensors delivery, relies on the introduction of nanomaterials into living organisms, cells and organelles. The delivery process has been guided by the current understanding of the cellular interactions and pathways of natural and synthetic ligands, molecules or particles at the molecular level. Nanoparticles have been designed to take advantage of the cellular machinery, and assimilate into the cellular environment to execute their specific tasks. Active transport of nanoparticles at the cell surface and in the intracellular environment has been one such cellular machinery that has been exploited for the deliver of nanomaterials to their specific targets. In this chapter we will review active transport mechanisms that rely on motor proteins or polymerization of cytoskeletal filaments and their use for cellular delivery of synthetic nanoparticles. We will also review our recent findings of a retrograde cellular transport of inorganic particles along microvilli and filopodia and the underlying molecular mechanisms, and will put the current knowledge in the context of future applications in pharmaceutical nanotechnology.