A Prodrug Nanoparticle Approach for the Oral Delivery of a Hydrophilic Peptide, Leucine5-enkephalin, to the Brain

Nanomerics and UCL School of Pharmacy scientists announce delivery of a hydrophylic peptide across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). The BBB prevents transport of most drugs from the blood into the brain. By using a pro-drug approach combined with Nanomerics' MET system the group were able to show that the endogenous anti-pain peptide can be carried across this barrier to provide analgesic activity.

The brain produces peptides which act as natural pain killers without the side effects associated with many current drugs. However, so far there was no way to administer these peptides so that they could be used as drugs. We are exited that our MET system has been shown to be able to deliver such promising agents to the brain and thus provide better pain therapies." comments Nanomerics' CEO Andreas Schatzlein. "We hope the approach can also be applied to carry drugs for the treatment of other CNS diseases such as Alzheimer's or MS."