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Spanish scientists have taken a revolutionary step against Alzheimer’s disease by developing a nanoparticle-based injection that restores the brain’s natural defenses and could become the world’s first vaccine against dementia. Experiments were conducted on mice, according to Daily Mail.
Alzheimer’s, one of the leading causes of death globally, may soon no longer be a life sentence. Researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona reported that they were able to reverse disease symptoms in mice using nanoparticles that repair the damaged blood-brain barrier – the brain’s natural protective “shield.”
How it works
The nanoparticles are tiny spheres, less than 200 nanometers in size, about a quarter of the thickness of a human hair. After injection, they circulate in the bloodstream and reach the barrier affected by Alzheimer’s. There, they interact with cells, restoring their ability to clear toxic beta-amyloid protein – the main culprit of the disease – from the brain.
Professor Giuseppe Battaglia, the project leader, called the discovery a “remarkable breakthrough” and emphasized that the method could be applied to humans within the next few years.
“We have shown that reactivating the blood-brain barrier improves the brain’s ability to clear harmful proteins and restores its functions,” he told Daily Mail.
Impressive experimental results
Mice with Alzheimer’s symptoms received three doses of the supramolecular treatment. Within an hour, researchers observed a 50–60% reduction of beta-amyloid in the brain.
Even more striking, a 12-month-old mouse (equivalent to a 60-year-old human) fully regained normal behavior six months after the injection.
The research team is now conducting further studies on safety and toxicity. If results remain positive, human clinical trials could begin in the coming years.
This discovery could open a new era in medicine – treating neurodegenerative diseases by activating the brain’s natural protective mechanisms.
