(25 Jul 2018) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4164751
DEEP INSIDE THE BRAIN IS A SHIELD THAT PROTECTS AGAINST INVADERS.
IT'S CALLED THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER. IT ALLOWS NUTRIENTS TO REACH BRAIN CELLS FROM THE BLOODSTREAM WHILE FILTERING OUT GERMS AND OTHER HARMFUL SUBSTANCES.
BUT THERE'S A DOWNSIDE: DRUGS NEEDED TO TREAT BRAIN DISEASES TOO OFTEN CAN'T GET THROUGH EITHER.
THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER IS MADE UP OF CELLS THAT LINE MOST OF THE BRAIN'S SMALLEST BLOOD VESSELS. THOSE ENDOTHELIAL CELLS ARE TIGHTLY PACKED TOGETHER, SO ONLY SMALL MOLECULES SLIP BY.
MANY DRUGS FOR CANCER, ALZHEIMER'S AND OTHER BRAIN DISEASES ARE TOO BIG TO EASILY PASS THROUGH.
BUT WHAT IF SCIENTISTS COULD MAKE THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER TEMPORARILY LEAK, IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT, IN HOPES OF ONE DAY HELPING THOSE MEDICINES SNEAK INSIDE?
TO TRY, THEY INJECT MICROSCOPIC BUBBLES INTO THE BLOODSTREAM. MRI SCANS PINPOINT THE DESIRED BRAIN LOCATION. THEN, RESEARCHERS BEAM WHAT'S CALLED "FOCUSED ULTRASOUND" RIGHT AT THAT SPOT.
THE ULTRASOUND WAVES MAKE THE MICROBUBBLES VIBRATE, CREATING A TEMPORARY OPENING IN THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER.
AN EXPERIMENT WITH SIX ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS SHOWS THE BARRIER OPENED, LET SOME HARMLESS DYE SEEP IN, AND THEN SEALED BACK UP.
SIMILAR SMALL SAFETY TESTS ARE GETTING UNDERWAY WITH BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS AND PEOPLE WITH LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
