Roche creates new 'shuttle system' that helps deliver large molecules to the brain

This week, Roche Scientists announced a new type of technique to help deliver large molecules to the brain. The transferrin receptor pathway is able to deliver large molecules to the brain, which helps deliver medication to more cells. While it's still in very early stages, this technique could help advance the treatment of Alzheimer's. So what makes this method different?

"Over the last century, we have learned how to get small molecules into the brain, but large molecules remain a big challenge," Roche's head of neuroscience discovery, Anirvan Ghosh, told FierceDrugDelivery. In the past, other groups have used the transferrin receptor pathway, but Ghosh and fellow researchers have taken a different approach. By changing the binding mode of an antibody fragment to the receptor, the team allowed for more complete penetration of the barrier. The monovalent binding of the antibody to the receptor allowed for more penetration across the cells--known as trancytosis--as opposed to traditional bivalent binding, Ghosh said.

Aside from helping advance treatments for Alzheimer's, Huntington's and brain cancer, what else could this new technique be applied towards? How will the delivery of large molecules change the way we treat brain related diseases and disorders?

Want to learn more about the future of drug delivery? IIR's 18th Annual Drug Delivery Partnerships will help you form a drug delivery strategy that keeps you ahead of the market, register today! Save 15% off of the standard rate when you register using priority code XP1978BLOG. To learn more, download our agenda. We hope to see you January 27-29 in Boca Raton!