Shafq Al-Azzawi

Improving brain-permeability and targeting in Alzheimer’s disease by using a dendronised carrier system.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and age-related disease characterised by gradual decrease in memory, caused by the abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain. Recently, AD has become epidemic with 33.9 million people worldwide having this disease. Current available drugs are only capable of improving symptoms, but do not have profound effects on the underlying cause of the disease. Lack of a true treatment is due to limitations imposed by the blood brain barrier (BBB) that blocks the passage of drugs to the brain. A promising approach for improved drug delivery is the loading of the drug to specific carriers, such as dendrimers, that have the ability to pass through the BBB. Dendrimers have a unique structure that can be easily bi-functionalised with both the drug and a ligand that can be recognised by the receptors on the brain endothelia, enhancing cellular uptake and brain targeting of the carrier system. This project has developed a range of novel, biocompatible and biodegradable dendrimer-based carrier systems to improve brain delivery for a drug that has the potential to be used in the treatment of AD.

Professor Matteo Santin

Dr Gary Phillips

Anna Guildford