(Press-News.org) One of the trickiest parts of treating brain conditions is the blood brain barrier, a blockade of cells that prevent both harmful toxins and helpful pharmaceuticals from getting to the body's control center. But, a technique published in JoVE, uses an MRI machine to guide the use of microbubbles and focused ultrasound to help drugs enter the brain, which may open new treatment avenues for devastating conditions like Alzheimer's and brain cancers.
"It's getting close to the point where this could be done safely in humans," said paper-author Meaghan O'Reilly, "there is a push towards applications."
The current method of disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is by using osmotic agents such as mannitol, which suck the water out of the cells that form the barrier, causing the gaps between them to get bigger. Unfortunately, this method opens large areas of the barrier, leaving the brain exposed to toxins.
The benefit of the microbubble technique is that it can be used on a very small area of the BBB. The microbubbles, made of lipids (fats) and gas, are injected into the blood stream. When focused ultrasound is applied, the bubbles expand and contract. It is thought that the force of the movement in the bubbles causes the cells that form the BBB to temporarily separate, which allows drugs to reach the brain.
"Microbubble technology has been around for years, though its applications have mostly been as contrast agents for diagnostic ultrasound," said JoVE Editorial Director, Dr. Beth Hovey. "This newer approach, using ultrasound to help the bubbles permeablize the blood brain barrier, will hopefully allow for better treatment of diseases within the brain."
In this method, O'Reilly and her colleagues use the MRI machine to ensure that the barrier opens, and they can also time how long it takes for it to close, which will be important for when the technique is used on patients.
O'Reilly chose to publish the technique in JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, to help other scientists learn the method.
JoVE is the first and only peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed science journal to publish all of its content in both text and video format.
"The ability of focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles to disrupt the blood brain barrier has been known for over a decade. However, because the actual technique can be challenging— there are critical steps involved— the video article fills a gap in the literature that is a major hindrance to people getting into the field," she said.
INFORMATION:
The article will be published on March 13 and can be viewed here at 1pm EST: http://www.jove.com/video/3555/mri-guided-disruption-of-the-blood-brain-barrier-using-transcranial-focused-ultrasound-in-a-rat-model
JoVE shows how researchers open the brain to new treatments
2012-03-14
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists tap the cognitive genius of tots to make computers smarter
2012-03-14
People often wonder if computers make children smarter. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, are asking the reverse question: Can children make computers smarter? And the answer appears to be 'yes.'
UC Berkeley researchers are tapping the cognitive smarts of babies, toddlers and preschoolers to program computers to think more like humans.
If replicated in machines, the computational models based on baby brainpower could give a major boost to artificial intelligence, which historically has had difficulty handling nuances and uncertainty, researchers ...
Reduced baby risk from another cesarean
2012-03-14
A major study led by the University of Adelaide has found that women who have had one prior cesarean can lower the risk of death and serious complications for their next baby - and themselves - by electing to have another cesarean.
The study, known as the Birth After Caesarean (BAC) study, is the first of its kind in the world. It involves more than 2300 women and their babies and 14 Australian maternity hospitals. The results are published this week in the international journal, PLoS Medicine.
The study shows that infants born to women who had a planned elective ...
St. Michael's doctor uses wiki to empower patients and help them to develop asthma action plans
2012-03-14
TORONTO, Ont., March 13, 2012—Imagine that you have asthma, and rather than give you a set of instructions about what to do if you have an attack, your doctor invites you to help write them?
Would that make patients feel more engaged and empowered in managing their health care, and would that ultimately make them happier if not healthier?
These questions are being raised by Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist at St. Michael's Hospital.
His research has found that a wiki – a website developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content ...
Get me out of this slump! Visual illusions improve sports performance
2012-03-14
With the NCAA men's college basketball tournament set to begin, college basketball fans around the United States are in the throes of March Madness. Anyone who has seen a game knows that the fans are like extra players on the court, and this is especially true during critical free throws. Fans of the opposing team will wave anything they can, from giant inflatable noodles to big heads, to make it difficult for players to focus on the basket.
But one way a player might be able to improve his chances at making that free throw is by tricking himself into thinking the basket ...
Post-exposure antibody treatment protects primates from Ebola, Marburg viruses
2012-03-14
Army scientists have demonstrated, for the first time, that antibody-based therapies can successfully protect monkeys from the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses. In addition, the animals were fully protected even when treatment was administered two days post-infection, an accomplishment unmatched by any experimental therapy for these viruses to date. The work appears in this week's electronic edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The filoviruses, Ebola and Marburg, cause hemorrhagic fever with human case fatality rates as high as 90 percent. They ...
Global warming skepticism climbs during tough economic times
2012-03-14
STORRS, Conn. – The American public's growing skepticism in recent years about the existence of man-made global warming is rooted in apprehension about the troubled economy, a University of Connecticut study suggests.
Lyle Scruggs, associate professor of political science in UConn's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, says the public's belief in climate change dropped significantly as the economy dipped and unemployment climbed in the late 2000s.
His research with UConn political science graduate student Salil Benegal found that popular alternative explanations -- ...
Data support theory on location of lost Leonardo da Vinci painting
2012-03-14
Evidence uncovered during research conducted in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio late last year appears to support the theory that a lost Leonardo da Vinci painting existed on the east wall of the Hall of the 500, behind Giorgio Vasari's mural "The Battle of Marciano." The data supporting the theoretical location of the da Vinci painting "The Battle of Anghiari" was obtained through the use of an endoscopic probe that was inserted through the wall on which the Vasari fresco was painted. The probe was fitted with a camera and allowed a team of researchers, led by scientist Maurizio ...
Santorini: The ground is moving again in paradise
2012-03-14
Do a Google image search for "Greece." Before you find pictures of the Parthenon or Acropolis, you'll see several beautiful photos of Santorini, the picturesque island in the Aegean Sea. The British Broadcasting Company named it the world's best island in 2011. Santorini is a tourist magnet, famous for its breathtaking, cliff side views and sunsets.
It's also a volcanic island that has been relatively calm since its last eruption in 1950. Until now. The Santorini caldera is awake again and rapidly deforming at levels never seen before. Georgia Tech Associate Professor ...
South Dennis Dentist Raises Money for Cancer Research
2012-03-14
South Dennis dentist Dr. Michael Bittrich's service to the community does not stop with his dental practice. For the fifth year in a row, he is riding his bike in the Pan Massachusetts Challenge to raise money for cancer research and treatment on Aug. 4 and 5th, 2012.
Last year the event raised $35 million and the Dennis dentist and his "Miles for Mary" team were able to raise more than 55 thousand dollars. The money raised from the event is donated to the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Both organizations strive to both provide expert cancer ...
Dentist in Hollywood, FL Provides Online Appointment Requests
2012-03-14
From routine dental care to cosmetic procedures, including Dania dental implants, patients can now request an appointment with Dr. Tamara Rojas, dentist in Hollywood, FL. This new feature allows patients to easily request an appointment even when the office is closed.
As many patients maintain a busy day-to-day schedule, it is often hard for them to find a moment to call the office during operating hours. With online appointment requesting patients can request an appointment with Dr. Rojas, Hallandale dentist, from their office, car or from the comfort of their own ...