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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