Researchers may have figured out a way to overcome a key barrier in treating Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published recently in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Neurological diseases have always proved difficult to treat because the brain has a network of blood vessels—called blood-brain barrier (BBB)—which protects the brain against potentially harmful substances. However, for the first time, scientists have discovered a way to attach antibodies to a protein that then transports materials through the BBB. Once this protein is inside the brain, these antibodies can stop the build-up of a protein known to cause Alzheimer’s disease.
Testing was done on monkeys; the next step is a trial with human patients. “If this technique proves successful in humans, patients could receive weekly subcutaneous or monthly intravenous injections to keep neurological diseases at bay,” said the lead author, Joy Yu of biotechnology company Genentech Inc., based in San Francisco.
To learn more about this study, please click here.
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