Shear-Responsive Platelet Mimetics For Targeted Drug Delivery

Most targeted drug delivery approaches utilize molecular targets or regional variations in chemical or structural properties of the tissue microenvironment to localize drug at disease sites. Here we briefly describe a novel nanotherapeutic drug delivery platform that relies upon local mechanical activation by high fluid shear stresses to selectively target drugs to sites of vascular obstruction. This strategy is based on the use of microscale aggregates of nanoparticles that are shear sensitive and break up into individual nanoscale components that adhere to the surface of stenotic vessels in regions of abnormally high fluid shear stress, much as natural platelets do. This biomimetic approach to targeted drug delivery offers a potential new therapeutic approach for treatment of pulmonary embolism, stroke, atherosclerosis, and other hemodynamic-related disorders that are caused by vascular clots, stenosis or obstruction.