Researchers from the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia have developed a nanodrug that restores the brain’s natural defenses and removes the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in mice.

Spanish scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease – they have created an injection based on nanoparticles that restores the brain’s natural protective barrier and could be the first step towards developing a vaccine against dementia. This is reported by the Daily Mail.

A research team from the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona conducted experiments on mice that showed symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Scientists used nanoparticles smaller than 200 nanometers – about 400 times thinner than a human hair. Once in the bloodstream, they reach the blood-brain barrier – the brain’s natural “shield” that is disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease – and “repair” it.

This restoration allows brain cells to effectively clear it of the toxic beta-amyloid protein, which is a major factor in the development of the disease.

“We have proven that reactivating the blood-brain barrier improves the brain’s ability to clear itself of harmful proteins and restores its functions,” explained the head of the study, Professor Giuseppe Battaglia.

During the tests, mice with Alzheimer’s were given three doses of the drug. After just one hour, scientists recorded a 50-60% reduction in beta-amyloid. And six months after the injection, a 12-month-old mouse (the equivalent of a 60-year-old human) fully restored the behavior typical of healthy animals.

The team is now testing the nanodrug for safety and toxicity. If the results remain positive, clinical trials on humans could begin within a few years.

According to scientists, this discovery could open a new era in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases – by activating the brain’s natural defense mechanisms.