trans-BBBarrier

In order to enable the development of better drugs for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, a novel model of the blood-brain barrier is being developed in the trans-BBbarrier project, which reproduces the situation in the human body better than previously available models.

In the development of new drugs for diseases of the central nervous system, such as epilepsy or Alzheimer's disease, the greatest hurdle is often the uptake of these active substances into the brain. In order to enter the central nervous system, active substances must be transported from the blood across the blood-brain barrier. However, the blood-brain barrier is impenetrable for many molecules. In order to transport active substances into the brain, transport aids must be developed for crossing the blood-brain barrier. Promising possibilities are, for example, encapsulation of the active ingredients or binding to nanoparticles.

The biggest problem in developing such transport aids is that there are no suitable models to test the effectiveness of the methods.
In animal experiments, it is usually difficult to detect the low concentrations of the substances in the tissue. Cell cultures, in turn, are not similar enough to the actual situation in humans, as the cells lose important functions outside their natural environment. To solve this problem, a new cell culture model of the blood-brain barrier with improved cell function is being developed in the trans-BBbarrier project. Using microtechnology, it is possible to replicate the body's natural cell environment in a microsystem. For this purpose, cells are arranged in their natural tissue structure in a microfluidic chip via electrical and fluidic forces. The cells are supplied with nutrient medium via microchannels, thus imitating the body's blood flow. By simulating a natural environment, the natural function of the cells is to be stabilized and maintained. Tests of active substances and this model will thus be particularly comparable with the situation in humans. The trans-BBbarrier system will thus make a valuable contribution to the development of new drugs and therapies for diseases of the central nervous system.