Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed an enhanced drug delivery system for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancer.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in the elderly. Treating Alzheimer ’s disease is difficult because of an obstacle known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of the BBB is to protect the brain from toxins, but it also blocks certain drugs from entering the brain which otherwise could treat neural diseases. Researchers are beginning to use nanoparticles to enhance drug delivery to the brain, as well as to decrease the toxic side-effects of drugs. It is possible to create nanoparticle capsules that carry drugs across the BBB which otherwise would be blocked from entering the brain. One drug, called MKT-077, is a promising candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it’s entry into the brain is limited by the BBB, and animal studies show that it is toxic to the kidneys.
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