Researchers Move Small-molecule Drugs Through Blood-brain Barrier

Researchers from Mayo Clinic recently demonstrated in a mouse-model study that they developed a synthetic peptide carrier as a potential delivery vehicle for brain cancer chemotherapy drugs and other neurological medications, the findings were published in PLOS ONE. “Not only have we shown that we can transport eight different molecules, we think this method will be less disruptive or invasive because it mimics a normal physiological process,” says a corresponding Mayo Clinic author of the study. The blood-brain barrier, meant to protect the brain from numerous undesirable chemicals circulating the body, also obstructs access for treatment of brain tumors and other conditions. Nearly all of the drugs that can potentially help are too large to pass through the barrier, and some methods may even damage the vascular system. The researchers say their method, which has been successfully demonstrated in mice, meets three of five requirements for a usable therapy. To read more about this study, click here.