"It's one of the world's biggest killers, but Alzheimer's disease could soon be treated with a jab. Scientists in Spain claim to have reversed the disease in mice using nanoparticles - and they say the same technique could one day be effective in humans. The nanoparticles, invisible to the naked eye, are less than 200 nanometres in diameter - or about 0.25 per cent the width of a human hair."
"Delivered through an injection, the nanoparticles repair the blood-brain barrier, a region of dense cells and blood vessels protecting the brain. In Alzheimer's disease, the blood-brain barrier deteriorates, which allows a toxic waste protein called amyloid-beta to build up - thought to be the primary cause of the disease. Study leader Giuseppe Battaglia, a professor at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona, called the new approach 'remarkable'. And he thinks it could soon be effective in humans in the 'next few years'."
Nanoparticle injections repaired the blood-brain barrier in mice and reversed Alzheimer's-like disease. The nanoparticles are under 200 nanometres in diameter and travel through the bloodstream to reach damaged barrier regions. The particles are tiny hollow spheres made from biocompatible polymers and are bioactive, interacting with proteins, cells and tissues. Repairing the blood-brain barrier restores nutrient delivery and enhances clearance of toxic amyloid-beta protein, reducing its buildup. Improved clearance led to better brain function in treated mice. Researchers suggest the same technique could become effective in humans within the next few years.
Read at Mail Online
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