The nerve growth factor sorbed on the surface of nanoparticles penetrates the brain and weakens Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The ways of treatment of this disease and other neurodegenerative diseases are being sought by specialists of the Chair of Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Faculty, the I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, V.V. Zakusov Scientific Research Institute of Pharmacology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Pharmaceutical Technologies at the Goethe University (Germany).
The nerve growth factor (NGF) is necessary for growth normalization, maturing and vital activity maintenance of neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems. It protects nerve cells and ensures their regeneration. In case of Parkinson’s disease, the NGF level decreases in the patients’ blood and some brain structures. No wonder that physicians consider the NGF to be a promising means for neurodegenerative diseases treatment. However, the drug is to be delivered to the central nervous system, and this is hard to do as the NGF does not penetrate the hematoencephalic barrier. Nanoparticles can deliver it to the brain.
Nanoparticles produced at the Institute of Molecular Medicine of the I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, represent polymeric matrix containing a drug, in this case – the NGF. They are covered by polysorbate-80, which allows nanoparticles to overcome hematoencephalic barrier, to be accumulated in the cerebral vessels and to circulate there for a long time.
The Moscow physicians conducted initial tests of a new drug on mice. The animals were injected neurotoxin (1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine), which causes the symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease symptoms with human beings. Nanoparticles with the drug were intraperitoneally introduced to mice either 15 minutes prior to the neurotoxin injection or ten minutes after that. The neurotoxin action is manifested already within 2 to 3 minutes after the injection. The mice begin to shiver, stoop, their pulse changes, extremities get strained and the gait becomes festinaning and unstable, in general, the rodents move little and lose their inherent research activity.
The nerve growth factor contained in nanoparticles and introduced both prior to and after the neurotoxin injection significantly alleviated the mice sufferings. The animals moved more actively and easily, and a day later, movement disorders were practically over. The action of nanoparticles with the NGF is preserved for three weeks after the injection.
The researchers made sure that polymeric nanoparticles covered by polysorbate-80 can deliver the nerve growth factor to the central nervous system, and the NGF per se has an antiparkinsonian effect.
***
"Chemistry and Life - XXI century": 105005 Moscow, Lefortovskiy per., 8.
(095) 267-5418,
267-5418