Tiny natural carriers deliver an ALS treatment through the nose in mice
Getting medicines into the brain and spinal cord is one of the hardest parts of treating ALS. Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center tried a gentler route. They loaded an antisense oligonucleotide, a type of gene targeting drug, into tiny sacs naturally released by cells, then delivered them through the nose. Packaged this way, the drug was more stable and reached nerve tissue better than the drug alone. In mice, the treatment delayed disease onset, improved movement, protected motor neurons and reduced inflammation. The study appeared in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. If it translates to people, it could offer an option that avoids a spinal injection.