An efficient delivery method to the brain whenever we get drugs that need to be delivered there.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=174759&CultureCode=en
Medically active substances are normally distributed via
the blood – either directly by injection into the bloodstream or
indirectly, for example through the digestive tract after oral
administration. In many diseases, however – for example of the central
nervous system – it is of decisive importance to transport the active
substance as efficiently as possible to the required target site. An
example of this is the treatment of multiple sclerosis, where the
pharmaceutical agents have to produce their effect above all in the
central nervous system. However, this is especially difficult to achieve
in the usual way via the blood due to special protective mechanisms
such as the blood-brain barrier.
Through the nose direct into the brain
Within the scope of the EU-funded “N2B patch” cooperative project,
Fraunhofer IGB is therefore participating in the development of a
medical form of therapy that delivers the drug via the Regio olfactoria.
The aim of this alternative approach is to enable an active substance
to circumvent the path through the bloodstream and to reach the brain
directly. Here the brain, together with the surrounding liquid, is only
separated from the nasal cavity by the ethmoid bone and some cell
layers. The active agent can easily penetrate this barrier and reach the
brain directly taking a short route. The therapeutic system will
consist of the active agent itself, of a formulation containing the
active agent, a hydrogel as carrier material for the formulation, and a
suitable applicator for inserting the patch in the nose. The active
agent is a biomolecule that stimulates the regeneration of nerve cells.
In the project the scientists at Fraunhofer IGB are concentrating on
the formulation of the particles containing the active agent, and on
inserting these particles into the gel. The project consortium is
developing a special applicator to introduce the gel into the nose. The
device is a combination of a standard endoscope and a special mixing
system. This system is necessary as the target site is difficult to
reach and an already solidified gel could not be deposited in the
correct place. The liquid precursors of the gel therefore have to be
transported separately to the olfactory epithelium inside the nose.
There the various components combine to form a gel with the required
consistency, so that the patch remains securely in place.
As the olfactory epithelium is difficult to reach, the gel patch
should be applied by a doctor, not by the patients themselves. The
active agent will then be released over an extended period of time, so
there is then no need to remove the patch again. A new one is simply
inserted in the case of long-term treatment.
EU funds Nose2Brain project for four years
The N2B patch project is supported financially by the EU within the
scope of the tender procedure “Biomaterials for diagnosis and treatment
of demyelination disorders of the central nervous system”. A total of
eleven partners from research and industry are participating in the
project, which is scheduled to last four years and will be completed at
the end of 2020. The special focus of the participating researchers is
on the treatment of multiple sclerosis; however, they also hope to
develop other fields of application for the N2B platform.
https://www.igb.fraunhofer.de/en/press-media/press-releases/2017/nose2brain-_-better-therapy-for-multiple-sclerosis.html
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