Introduction/Background
The Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is a capillary barrier that protects the brain from fluctuations in blood chemistry and passage of certain particles between bloodstream and the brain. Extensive efforts have been made to learn and control the mechanism of the BBB in order to allow selective delivery of compounds to the brain. However, in most cases achievements were very limited, largely due to lack of effective monitoring tools which could allow efficient analysis of the results and the CNS changes.
Aims/Hypothesis
Current means of monitoring the BBB are not sensitive enough and fit only applications where the BBB permeability is significant and do not provide dynamic information of the BBB permeability.
Research
The technology offers a method for analysing the blood-brain barrier's behaviour, based on a detectable dose of MRI contrast agent. The technology uses plurality of MRI images acquired from a subject's brain over a predetermined time period, in order to assess BBB changes and CNS effects in a uniquely sensitive manner.
The system offered is an analysis software, operating as an 'add-on' to existing MRI systems. The system compares pairs of MRI constructed intensity maps, using different metrics to sensitively detect dissimilarities. The detection of contrast agent variations are correlated to the BBB's functioning, which has many clinical and developmental implications - for example, assessment of the effective therapeutic window of an investigated chemical agent.
The unique advantages of this technology make it applicable for an almost untouched research and clinical field, thus making it an enabling technology for additional developments in the fields of imaging, diagnostics and drug development.
Using existing MRI systems and state-of-the-art analytical tools, the technology will offer dynamic tracking of the BBB's physiological behaviour, allowing to monitor changes in the BBB permeability as wells as different CNS pathologies.
Conclusion
The project offers a unique MRI-based diagnostics tool, which allows, for the first time, a dynamic analysis of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) physiological parameters over time, thus enabling a wide range of diagnostics, therapeutics and drug development applications.
Relevance/Opportunity
Assessment of CNS disorders, monitoring the development of CNS disorders & response to drugs, monitoring the effects of different compounds or technologies on the BBB, monitoring the BBB behaviour in different drug regimes and physiological conditions to determine and improve effective treatment schedules and drug development. Please enquire if you are interested in codevelopment or licensing partnerships quoting reference no. 1450.
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Last Updated May 2015
Israel
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