The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex anatomical and physiological structure composed of related structures called neurovascular units (NVUs). NVUs protect the sensitive central nervous system (CNS) from molecules with potentially toxic or adverse neurological effects. These protective mechanisms prevent the introduction of therapeutic drugs to treat CNS disorders. To have a pharmacological effect, a drug needs to cross the BBB at a sufficient concentration and interact with the target within the brain. Several (pre) drugs and nanocarriers utilizing transporter proteins have been developed to improve drug uptake in the brain. In any case, quantitatively assessing the ability of new drugs to cross the BBB is crucial for the development of drugs for stroke.
Fig. 1. A schematic illustration of the main pharmacokinetic principles of transporter-mediated drug delivery to the brain. (Puris et al., 2022)
Ace Therapeutics has a team of experienced scientists who specialize in BBB research in stroke. Ace Therapeutics offers a variety of methods to analyze the ability of stroke drugs to cross the BBB from the blood stream, measure their concentration in the central nervous system, and predict their functional capacity. Our skilled research directors can help design optimal strategies and customize protocols to advance a client's stroke drug discovery program.
In Vivo Measurement of the Ability of Stroke Drugs to Cross the BBB
In Vitro Measurement of the Ability of Stroke Drugs to Cross the BBB
We can construct cell culture models for BBB PK analysis. We use confocal microscopy to analyze fluorescein-labeled ligands to assess the specific binding of labeled substances to the endothelial cell surface, and monitor the efflux of labeled cotransporter proteins that are not labeled with fluorescein.
Ace Therapeutics provides reliable BBB PK analysis services in stroke drug discovery and development for clients worldwide. Our experts are actively developing other assays to measure the ability of stroke drugs to cross the BBB. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us!
We are committed to accelerating progress in stroke research and drug development.