Carrier-Free Deferoxamine Nanoparticles against Iron Overload in Brain

Abstract

Although considerable progress has been achieved in treating iron-overload diseases with deferoxamine (DFO)-based biomaterials, high DFO loading and multifunctional integration in one system are still grand challenges. Herein, a series of carrier-free, high DFO-loading (∼80%), uniform spherical nanoparticles (NPs) assisted by polyphenols have been facilely developed with both efficient iron and reactive oxygen species-scavenging properties. Interestingly, those DFO-based NPs have demonstrated excellent scavenging performance in iron-overloaded cell model and energetically exhibited brain cell protection in vivo in intracerebral hemorrhage animal models. This study could provide a promising strategy to significantly improve the curative effect of DFO delivery systems for iron-overload diseases.