Magnetic nanoparticles comprising poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) coatediron(II,III) oxide particles, commonly known as magnetite, conjugated to lactoferrin (Lf) have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. The receptor-mediated delivery system was developed by collaborators at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan University and Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Germany. The efficacy of the delivery method has been tested in laboratory rats as demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging.

The technology could allow the targeted delivery of imaging tools as well as pharmaceutical agents direct to the brain, according to the team.

• Receptor-Mediated Delivery of Magnetic Nanoparticles across the Blood–Brain Barrier,
  Ruirui Qiao, Qiaojuan Jia, Sabine Hüwel, Rui Xia, Ting Liu, Fabao Gao, Hans-Joachim Galla, Mingyuan Gao,
  ACS Nano 2012.
  DOI: 10.1021/nn300240p