It is called Toxoplasma gondii and is a parasite whose main host is cats, found in 1 in 3 people worldwide. It mainly takes refuge in the brain and also in other organs. A research team has genetically modified this parasite to create a version of it that will be able to transport drugs to the brain in order to treat various diseases more efficiently.
Many drugs are difficult to deliver to the brain because the sensitive organ is protected by a thin membrane known as the blood-brain barrier, which allows only select substances to pass through the bloodstream and enter the tissues. The blood-brain barrier provides defense against disease-causing pathogens and toxins that may be present in our blood. The barrier is particularly impermeable to large molecules, including many proteins.
In contrast, the single-celled organism T. gondii easily bypasses the brain’s security. People usually acquire the parasite by ingesting it, and it then migrates to the brain on its own or with the help of immune cells. Most people do not develop obvious symptoms as a result, but a minority may develop health problems.
In a new study that was published In the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers engineered the modified parasite so that it could transport cargo, including large proteins and multiprotein packages, into brain cells and then release its payloads into the cells. The team successfully carried out this approach in test tubes, in mice and in miniature models of the human brain, known as cerebral organoids.
The goals
If the method proves effective and safe, it could be used to treat neurological diseases such as ParkinsonAlzheimer’s and Rett syndrome, whose occurrence is linked to the malfunctioning of proteins, and attacking the problem at its source is a major headache for scientists who are anxiously seeking solutions.
The research team is led by scientists from the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but the majority are scientists from the company Epeius Pharma, which is developing this technology for future use in patients.
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