What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: CBD.

Where was this research published?

Published in Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A on September 1, 2026.

Tiny lipid carriers may help CBD cross the nasal barrier

Q: What did this research study find?

*CBD nanostructured lipid carriers* showed **little interaction with nasal mucus** and promoted mucus penetration in laboratory testing.

Mucus-Penetrating Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: An Effective Approach for Cannabidiol to Pass Across the Nasal Mucus-Mucosal Barrier.

Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A • September 1, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

Nasal delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) is difficult because mucus can trap medicines before they reach the nasal lining. This laboratory study tested CBD nanostructured lipid carriers (CBD-NLCs)—tiny lipid-based particles designed to carry CBD through the nasal mucus and into cells. Computer modeling suggested that the particles’ main ingredients had no meaningful interactions with the mucus protein MUC5AC, while laboratory tests found that the carriers moved through mucus with little mucin interaction.

Experiments in rat nasal mucosal epithelial cells showed that the particles entered the cell cytoplasm rather than the nucleus. The findings indicate that clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the predominant route of cellular uptake, and that the carriers improved CBD transport across layers of nasal cells. The abstract reports no quantitative results, and the work was conducted in cell-based and laboratory models, so it does not yet demonstrate nose-to-brain delivery or benefits for cannabis users. It does, however, support NLCs as a promising platform for future nasal CBD delivery research.

💡 Key Findings

CBD nanostructured lipid carriers showed little interaction with nasal mucus and promoted mucus penetration in laboratory testing.

Moderate

50%

The carriers entered rat nasal epithelial cells and remained in the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus.

Moderate

50%

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was identified as the predominant pathway for cellular internalization.

Moderate

50%

NLCs improved CBD transport across rat nasal epithelial cell layers, supporting their potential as a nose-to-brain delivery platform.

Moderate

50%

📄 Original Abstract

Effective nose-to-brain delivery is limited by the mucus-mucosal barrier, which severely hinders drug transport after nasal administration. Although nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) offer promising solutions by improving their retention duration in the mucosal layer or promoting mucosal permeation and intracellular uptake, the nanoparticle-mucus interactions, epithelial uptake, and mechanisms supporting transcellular transport in the nasal cavity remain poorly learned. This study was developed to assess the interactions between mucin and NLCs, the absorption and transport capabilities of Cannabidiol (CBD) nanostructured lipid carriers (CBD-NLCs) in rat nasal mucosal epithelial (RNME) cells. Molecular docking (MD) was used to evaluate the interactions between the human mucin protein MUC5AC (hMUC5AC) and some main components of CBD-NLCs. In vitro experiments were conducted to assess the mucus penetration of CBD-NLCs. Cellular uptake, localization, and transport mechanisms of coumarin-6-labeled NLCs (C6-NLCs) in RNME cells were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy, endocytosis inhibition assays, and transcellular transport assays. Our results show that there were no interactions between the main components of NLCs and hMUC5AC according to MD simulations. In vitro experiments, NLCs promoted mucus penetration and had little interaction with mucin. Cellular studies confirmed cytoplasmic (non-nuclear) localization of C6-NLCs in RNME cells, and transport assays showed that the clathrin-mediated endocytic route was a predominant pathway for their internalization. When across the RNME cell monolayer, NLCs had a great benefit on CBD transportation across monolayers of RNME cells. Our results clarify the mechanism by which NLCs enhance mucosal penetration and facilitate cellular trafficking in RNME cells. Their little interaction with mucin, combined with efficient cellular uptake and transcellular transport, supports the potential of NLCs as a promising nanoplatform for nose-to-brain drug delivery.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
Published: September 1, 2026
PMID: 42698223
DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.70133

Authors (7)

Liyan Wang State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
Bo Liu State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
Qing Luo State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
Kaili Liang State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
Wei Wang State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
+2 more authors