Researchers are developing a new way to use electricity to open the blood-brain barrier -
A team of researchers from the Tech-Wake Forest University School Virginia biomedical engineering and science have developed a new way to use electricity to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The Vascular Enabled Integrated nanosecond pulse (pulse VEIN) procedure involves inserting electrodes minimally invasive needle in the diseased tissue and the application of several bursts of nanosecond pulses with alternating polarity. It is believed that the bursts disrupt tight junction proteins responsible for maintaining the integrity of the BBB without causing damage to surrounding tissue. This technique is being developed for the treatment of brain cancer and neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, and should appear in the next issue of Technology .
The BBB is a network of tight junctions which normally acts to protect the brain against foreign substances, preventing them from leaking out of blood vessels. However, it also limits the effectiveness of drugs to treat brain diseases. Temporarily opens the BBB is a way to ensure that drugs can still be effective.
For the treatment of brain cancer, "venous pulse could be applied simultaneously with the biopsy or by the same route that the biopsy probe to mitigate the damage to healthy tissue by limiting the number of 'needle insertions, "says Rafael V. Davalos, Ph.D., director of Bioelectromechanical systems Laboratory at Virginia Tech.
Furthermore, the group shows that VEIN pulses can be applied without causing muscle contractions , which can dislodge the electrodes and require the use of a neuroblocker and general anesthesia. According Arena Christopher B., Ph.D., co-author on the paper with Paulo A. Garcia, Ph.D. and Michael B. Sano, Ph.D., "the fact that the pulses alternate in polarity avoids unwanted motion electrically induced. therefore, it may be possible to perform this procedure without using a neuroblocker and with patients under conscious sedation. This is similar to how deep brain stimulation is put in clinical work to treat Parkinson's disease. "
team now plans to translate technology into clinical applications through a partnership of the university spin-out, VoltMed, Inc.
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