2026-09-23T08:32:29Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/125783 2026-02-03 col_2142_5131 col_2142_11615 com_2142_5130 com_2142_9130 com_2142_8903

application/pdf en text Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-08-01 The student, Kai-Yu Huang, accepted the attached license on 2024-07-03 at 14:11. The student, Kai-Yu Huang, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-07-03 at 14:27. This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-07-07 at 17:10. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #20933 on 2025-02-04 at 21:25:22 2024-08 Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125783 Copyright 2024 Kai-Yu Huang Neuromuscular tissue-derived factors and inflammatory-cell-targeted nanoparticles for advancing brain health Huang, Kai-Yu 2024-07-07 Kong, Hyunjoon Kong, Hyunjoon Leckband, Deborah E. Gazzola, Mattia Su, Xiao Neuromuscular Junction Tissue Engineering Myokine Exosome Nanoparticle Transport Blood-brain Barrier eng Neurological disorders often lead to denervation and muscle atrophy, resulting multi-organ dysfunction and homeostasis compromise. These adverse outcomes may be linked to altered biologic secretion from muscles in response to neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degradation, yet the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Concurrently, engineered nanoparticles have shown promise as drug delivery systems for enhancing the bioavailability and retention of therapeutic agents in brain. However, the influence of aging and neuropathology on nanoparticle transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has not been fully elucidated. This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of neuronal innervation on skeletal muscle secretion and to design nanoparticles that probe BBB permeability alterations due to brain disorders and aging. Chapter 1 introduces skeletal muscle-secreted factors, NMJ models, and nanoparticle delivery strategies for BBB traversal. Chapter 2 details an in vitro neuromuscular model illustrating the regulation of muscle secretion by neuronal innervation and the effect of muscle-derived factors on neuronal development. In Chapter 3, the enhancement of neurotrophic exosome secretion from neuromuscular tissues via IGF-1 is explored, assessing its impact on neural network formation and function. Chapter 4 focuses on the design of nanoparticles targeting inflamed brain cells and investigates how Alzheimer’s disease and aging modulate intracerebral nanoparticle transport. Finally, Chapter 5 consolidates the findings from Chapters 2 to 4 and outlines prospective research trajectories. Chemical & Biomolecular Engr Chemical Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Ph.D. Dissertation