Now this is good information, the kind we need to give us courage & hope. Let's keep these kinds of articles coming & stop the bantering back & forth on things that are two sided situations which we have discussed to the fullest. > Texas Tech Health: Therapies for neurodegenerative diseases under way > > > By David D. Allen > > > > More than 10 million people worldwide suffer the progressively > debilitating effects of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's > and Parkinson's disease and stroke. To effectively treat the symptoms > associated with such conditions - and ultimately slow or stop their > progression - a drug must be able to cross the blood-brain barrier. > > > That is why researchers at the Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy > and the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy have been working > together to develop novel nanoparticles that can safely cross the > blood-brain barrier and subsequently be targeted to deliver an effective > drug into the brain. > > > Nanoparticles refer to particles whose diameter is measured in > "billionths" of meters. For perspective, a hair from a person's head is > about 50,000 nanometers wide. > > > The blood-brain barrier is formed by the cells of blood vessels in the > brain that are held together tightly, essentially forming a wall that > shields delicate brain tissue from toxins in the bloodstream. > > > Many of today's drugs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier when injected > or taken orally. Instead, they must be released from a device that has > been implanted into the brain or delivered directly to the brain via > needle injection. As a result, drugs that may one day delay or stop the > ultimate outcome of neurodegenerative conditions are prohibited from > entering the brain. That is why finding methods that successfully > deliver drugs to the brain when administered by an injection or taken as > a pill is critical for developing new therapies that can safely and > effectively treat or halt the progression of diseases like Alzheimer's. > > > University of Kentucky researchers Dr. Russell J. Mumper and Dr. Michael > Jay spent nearly two years developing a breakthrough manufacturing > process that enables particles to be produced that are less than 100 > nanometers in diameter. These nanoparticles are made from > biologically-compatible materials that can be found in many of today's > food products or are currently used in the formulation of many > prescription and over-the-counter medicines. And because materials this > small exhibit different physiological, chemical and biological > properties, researchers think they can be used in the development of new > drugs which can be targeted to work in brain tissue. > > > To date, the Texas Tech-University of Kentucky research team has > demonstrated in multiple studies in the laboratory that novel > nanoparticles can safely cross the blood-brain barrier following a > conventional injection. In addition, these nanoparticles can achieve > uptake levels in the brain that are comparable to existing drugs used to > treat central nervous system disorders. The researchers are not aware of > any other studies that achieved similar results. > > > The nanoparticle manufacturing process has been licensed to NanoMed > Pharmaceuticals Inc. NanoMed is developing nanoparticle-based advanced > drug delivery systems to deliver drugs to the brain and hopes to > commercialize the findings of Texas Tech and University of Kentucky > researchers by working with other companies who are seeking to develop > new drugs to treat neurodegenerative conditions. The company and its > research collaborators hope to begin testing the new drugs in humans > within two years. > > > David is an associate professor at Texas Tech University School of > Pharmacy and a scientific advisory board member of NanoMed > Pharmaceuticals Inc. > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.445 / Virus Database: 250 - Release Date: 1/21/2003 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn