In Spain, scientists have claimed to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in mice using nanoparticles. They say this technique could also be used on humans in the future.
Nanoparticles, which are invisible to the naked eye, have a diameter of less than 200 nanometers (about 0.25% of the width of a human hair).
When injected into the body, these nanoparticles repair the blood-brain barrier a protective layer of cells and blood vessels that safeguard the brain.
In Alzheimer’s disease, this barrier becomes damaged, allowing toxic proteins called amyloid-beta to accumulate in the brain, which is considered the main cause of the disease.
Professor Giuseppe Battaglia from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona, who led the research, described the technique as “remarkable” and believes it could be applied to humans within the next few years.
He said the study shows that when the barrier is repaired and reactivated, the brain’s ability and efficiency to clear harmful proteins improve significantly.
