There is a race in the pharmaceutical industry that aims to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. This growing interest in the neuroscience sector has more scientists looking into various modes of treatment. With various mechanisms of action for drugs for treatment, it is imperative to have a functioning and working model to test out various compounds.
The Blood Brain Barrier
To fully understand the complex network and biological and chemical structure of the neurological pathways involved in treating diseases, one of the first things to learn is how to introduce a working compound into the brain. The brain is protected by the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) which is a highly specified membrane that is permeable to only a certain compound and is an essential point of study, due to its high selectivity. Large, as well as small, molecules are being experimentally introduced to the brain in in vivo and in vitro models that mimic the behaviors of the BBB cells, such as pericytes, astrocytes and BMEC. Not only does this require a hands-on cell culture method, but also a validated analytical method for the compounds of interest. Using the LC-MS/MS and NanoLC instruments to evaluate the cellular media and the compounds of interest gives a deeper insight on the activities of the cells in the BBB, as well as the chemistry behind the compounds that do or do not work.
The nervous system, especially the brain, is a very difficult area to work with since there are no efficacious and known ways to fully regenerate damaged nerves or nervous cells. It is a topic of great interest, as 1 in 6 people in the world suffer from neurological diseases and damage. Although modern science is advancing quickly and research is pushing the boundaries of applied medicine, it is still a gray area with a lot of unknown variables.
Here at Visikol, our BBB model hopes to contribute to a variety of nervous system studies and research. Our validated small molecule panels have similar results to an in vivo model and can help in understanding the behavior of various compounds of interest. Reach out to us for more information on how Visikol’s BBB models can help your project.