Overcome the blood-brain barrier

A new method of drug delivery to the brain has been developed
Copper news

British researchers have developed a new way of delivering gene therapy drugs to the central nervous system, writes the BBC (Breakthrough in delivering drugs to the brain).

One of the additional difficulties of treating CNS diseases is that it is separated from the blood by a blood-brain barrier, which does not allow all medicinal substances, even low-molecular ones, to enter the brain. Preparations for gene therapy, which are nucleic acids of various sizes, are even more difficult to deliver to the central nervous system.

Scientists from Oxford University have tried to overcome this difficulty with the help of exosomes – microscopic bubbles synthesized by many cells of the body from the cell membrane, serving for the transport of various, often high-molecular chemical compounds.

In the experiment, the researchers obtained exosomes from mouse immune cells and filled them with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) capable of turning off the BACE1 gene. The product of this gene, the enzyme beta–secretase 1, plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Then, a rabies virus protein was placed on the membranes of siRNA-loaded exosomes, ensuring its binding to the brain's cholinergic receptors. This protein was supposed to direct the exosomes to the site of action.

After the introduction of their own exosomes prepared in this way back into the body of mice, the scientists noted a 60 percent decrease in the activity of the target gene, which indicates the effectiveness of the method. According to the head of the study Matthew Wood, this natural transport system was used to carry medicinal substances for the first time.

As the researchers and independent experts noted, the developed technique is quite universal and can be used to treat many diseases.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.03.2011