Nano-drugs against stroke (health)

Someone using my idea of nanoparticles delivering drugs thru the blood-brain barrier and fixing part of the cascade of death. Who else is researching this style of recovery?
http://health-med-news.com/health/nano-drugs-against-stroke-health/

For the first time, the effectiveness of nano-drug for the protection of the cells of the nervous system after a cerebral vascular accident (stroke), has been demonstrated. STROKE is the third cause of mortality in Italy and the second in the world. It is a study international, published in the journal Pnas, which demonstrates the usefulness of these nano-drugs. The study involved including the Institute of neurosciences at the National Research Council of Pisa (In – Cnr), the University of Florence and the University College London.

“During a stroke, many damaged neurons activate a series of biochemical factors that cause the death of nerve cells in the term,” said Tommaso Pizzorusso, Coordinator of the research. “It is a protein, called Caspasi 3, which causes the”cell suicide”in particular.” This protein can be effectively inhibited by the use of small molecules of RNA, called silencing RNA (siRNA), extremely specific and therefore very beneficial. “However, until now one of the main limitations to their use was due to the difficulty to get sufficient cells to repair the damage.”

After two years of experiments on rodents, researchers were able to overcome the obstacle through the use of nanotechnology. “We attached the siRNA molecules to tubes of carbon of nanometric dimensions (of the order of the millionth of a millimetre),” continues the researcher of the In – Cnr and the University of Florence, “we were then injected into the injured area of the cerebral cortex, and we found that the nano-vector, once captured by neurons, is able to release within the adequate amount of drug”thus reducing neuronal death induced by stroke. On the treated cells, almost half were saved and the appearance of functional deficits thus was significantly reduced. It is the first time that evidence was made functional enhancement by nano-drugs.

For the international team, it is a solution that opens new perspectives for more effective treatments. “For the moment”, concludes the researcher, “we are still in the experimental phase and we will have to perform other studies to understand what are nanoparticles which guarantee improved biocompatibility, for an ability to release the siRNA equivalent.” “The result is however an excellent point of departure which confirms that the nano-medicine can be successfully applied in near future to combat brain such as stroke, greatly diffuse pathologies, and so far almost free of effective treatment.”