Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have developed a nanobody that can treat Parkinson’s disease.
The developed nanobody is able to penetrate the hard envelope of brain cells, where it acts on denatured proteins called alpha-synuclein. These proteins can stick to each other, disrupting the inner workings of brain cells and causing Parkinson’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders.
Normally, nanobodies generated outside the cell may not perform their function inside the cell. To avoid this, the researchers reinforced the structure of the created nanobody so that it remains stable in the brain cell.
In total, the researchers created seven similar types of nanobodies, called PFFNB, capable of binding to alpha-synuclein groups.
An experiment in mice also showed that one of the nanoparticles, PFFNB2, does not block α-synuclein adhesion, but can destroy and destabilize the structure of existing aggregates.
“Remarkably, we induced PFFNB2 expression in the cerebral cortex, and this blocked the spread of alpha-synuclein clusters to the mouse cerebral cortex, an area responsible for cognition, movement, personality, and other high-level processes,” said study co-author. Ramhari Kumbar.
Previously, oncologists at Yale University evaluated the difference in breast cancer treatment in white and black patients.
