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Nanocapsule could help treat brain cancer and rare CNS diseases
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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The brain is protected by a special cell layer that helps prevent infection from entering this important human organ. But in addition to bacteria and infections, 98% of the drugs needed to treat CNS diseases cannot overcome natural protection. In Barcelona, specialists from the University of Biomedical Research have developed a capsule with drugs that can easily penetrate the blood-brain barrier and deliver substances directly to the brain.
A group of chemists is currently studying the capsule in special medical conditions. Along with clinical trials, experts are working on making a medicine for Friedreich's ataxia, childhood brain cancer, and glioblastoma.
The blood-brain barrier allows only substances necessary for the nutrition of the brain, such as iron, insulin, oxygen, with the help of certain receptors that recognize substances and allow or block them. A group of scientists used receptors that recognize and allow iron into the brain to overcome the blood-brain barrier, while the processes of natural protection and the flow of nutrients to the organ are not disrupted. By penetrating the receptors, a special capsule helps deliver the necessary medicinal substances directly to the brain, which increases the effectiveness of treatment.
According to the author of the research project, the goal of the scientific group was to create a capsule that would become a vehicle for the drug, while the size of the capsule should be approximately the size of a peptide (one nanometer) and retain its properties in the blood.
The therapeutic effect of the capsule consists of these two qualities that make it unique in its kind. The capsule contains 12 amino acids and is able to retain its properties in the blood for up to 24 hours.
According to the results of preliminary experiments conducted on rodents, it was established that the body's immune system does not react to such capsules, in addition, such transport means have an extremely low toxic effect.
As experts noted, work is currently underway on three projects aimed at developing treatments for rare diseases using nanocapsules. Together with specialists from the Vall Hebron University of Oncology, work is underway in which scientists are trying to link drugs with peptides to develop treatments for glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer that occurs in adults.
In addition, work is underway to develop a method for treating Friedreich's ataxia, a rare hereditary form of neurodegenerative disease. Specialists set a goal to introduce into the capsule a viral vector with a gene that is not present in the cells of patients with this disease.
Barcelona chemists were also recently approached with a request to use the capsule to treat childhood brain cancer, in which drugs do not cross the blood-brain barrier.
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