The blood-brain barrier is a major component in protecting our central nervous system from harmful substances.  It is composed a tight sealed junction of the capillaries in the brain along with a thick basement membrane. This barrier only allows certain substances through to the brain.  Some water-soluble substance pass through it very easily, and some substances cross through slowly.  On the other hand, substances such as antibiotics are not allowed to cross the blood-brain barrier (Tortora). This makes it difficult to treat central nervous disorders.  The medical community has been puzzled after many different attempts to get antibiotics across the barrier.  So, what is the best route to solve this problem?

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Boston University have been working on a study to solve this difficult problem.  The researchers have realized the lining of the nasal cavity is the best way to get medication directly to the central nervous system. First, they constructed an animal model to evaluate their possible technique.  They realized that this method is able to send particles to the brain that are a thousand times larger than the particles that the blood-brain barrier lets through (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary).

The discovery that these researchers have made has a major impact on the medical community. The future, hopefully, holds a set of clinical trials for this method. This method could help many of the 20 million people who suffer from central nervous system diseases (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary).  The research of this method serves as a beacon of light for those surviving and their families.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (2013, April 24). Nasal lining used to breach blood/brain barrier. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2013/04/130424185207.htm

Tortora G.J. and B. Derrickson. 2012. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed., John Wiley and Sons