Groundbreaking method brings hope to those suffering from brain disease

Many brain diseases are strongly associated with disorders that can’t be treated because drugs are lacking. A discovery involving a new class of molecules shows promise.

Health

© Orawan Pattarawimonchai, Shutterstock

We have the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to thank for our healthy brains. This network of blood vessels and tissues helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain. Different brain disorders have been closely linked to defects in this network.

A team of researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) led by Benoit Vanhollebeke developed a new type of drug that repairs these dysfunctions. In mice, they were successful in slowing the progression of glioblastoma, a common type of brain cancer. They also reduced the lesions in the brain after a stroke.

The researchers speculated that some of the endogenous molecules controlling healthy BBB function could help repair BBB damage, so they examined molecules linked to the BBB’s development. Their theory proved to be right! The drugs helped bolster the BBB and slow disease progression. “One of the most fascinating aspects of this study is the level of specificity with which pathological brain vessels respond to this experimental treatment,” explains Vanhollebeke from the Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences. “Inspired by the natural developmental process, we have designed a new class of molecules that are able to reach their therapeutic target efficiently, while remaining completely inert for healthy vessels and other tissues of the body. On a fundamental basis, this level of specificity seemed a priori out of reach.”

Could these drugs help treat other brain disorders? To find out, Vanhollebeke and the ULB have established the spin-off NeuVasQ Biotechnologies to take their new approach forward.

This breakthrough was made possible thanks to the Ctrl-BBB (Blood-brain barrier: from molecular mechanisms to intervention strategies) project funded by the European Research Council. ULB is the host institution. Ending in December 2025, the 5-year project wants to improve understanding of how the BBB is regulated. This will lead to innovative therapeutic approaches for several disorders, including stroke and multiple sclerosis.

For more information, please see: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm4459.

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Keywords

Ctrl-BBB, brain, blood-brain barrier, glioblastoma, brain cancer, stroke, molecule