Technique to deliver drugs directly to the brain developed that could help Alzheimer's sufferers

By DAVID DERBYSHIRE

New techniques could mean a breakthrough for Alzheimer's sufferers


Scientists have developed a new way to deliver drugs directly to the brain, raising hopes that more effective treatments could be used to help Alzheimer’s disease sufferers.

Any attempt to get drugs into the brain is hampered by the blood-brain barrier - the natural defence against potentially harmful chemicals floating around the body.

But now a team from University of Oxford has successfully switched off a gene implicated in Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice by exploiting tiny particles naturally released by cells, called exosomes.

The exosomes, injected into the blood, act as 'drugs vehicles' - crossing the normally impermeable blood-brain barrier to the brain where they are needed.

The scientists say the research, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, is still at an early stage - and is many years from being tested in people.

But it could also make it easier to treat Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophy.

Lead scientist Dr Matthew Wood said: 'These are dramatic and exciting results.
'It’s the first time new ‘biological’ medicines have been delivered effectively across the blood-brain-barrier to the brain.

'This is the first time this natural system has been exploited for drug delivery.'
Over the years, many drugs have been developed to target specific parts of the disease pathways.

But while these have shown good results in the lab, getting them to the right part of the body has often proved problematic.

source: dailymail

Posted in: News Update