The blood-brain barrier is a gatekeeping system of cells that lets in
nutrients to the brain and protects it from toxins. It works well—so
well it can block medications from getting to the brain.

After a person with Parkinson's takes Levodopa, the chemicals it
produces can cross the blood-brain barrier and supply the brain with
needed dopamine. However, many of the other medications that
scientists have experimented with for Parkinson's will not cross the
blood brain barrier.

"A big part of our work is raising the awareness about the blood-
brain barrier as an intimate part of the disease process," said
William A. Banks, M.D., of Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Banks and other members of a multi-university research team published
an article in the journal Lancet Neurology last month that discussed
the difficulty in creating medications that can get beyond the blood
brain barrier and treat diseases that affect the brain.

"You can't get drugs into the brain or understand brain disease
without understanding the blood-brain barrier, which is among our
most significant recommendations for future research," Banks said.

The blood-brain barrier is woefully misunderstood, Banks said.

"The general theme of our review article is the blood-brain barrier
is not a brick wall but a regulating interface between the brain and
the rest of the body," Banks said. "Look at the brain as an island,
where all raw materials have to be imported. The blood-brain barrier
is the shipping and communications system that connects the island
(the brain) to the rest of the world (the body)."

Learning more about the secrets of the blood-brain barrier system is
critical to understanding how to deliver helpful chemicals, and
blocking delivering unhelpful ones.

Source:

St. Louis University new release

01/03/08