Scientists harvested tiny bubble-like particles naturally produced by the acerola fruit and used them to deliver CRISPR gene-editing tools into the brains of living animals via a nose spray. The plant-derived particles successfully edited a gene linked to ALS and frontotemporal dementia, suggesting a noninvasive route around the brain's toughest biological barrier.
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Acerola-derived nanoparticles formed stable complexes with CRISPR-Cas9 protein and guide RNA without breaking down under storage conditions.
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Attaching a GLP2 peptide tag to the plant-particle complexes improved delivery selectivity to neurons expressing GLP2 receptors compared to untagged particles.
3
Intranasal administration in live animals achieved confirmed genome editing of the C9orf72 mutation site in the brain, the most common genetic cause of familial ALS.
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