Better ways to get medicines into the brain
Official title: A Novel Method to Enhance Drug Delivery to the Brain
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11307387 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops peptide-based methods to temporarily let medicines into the brain for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other brain injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $452,491 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG082273-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307387 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would include people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia related to Alzheimer pathology, or acquired brain injury who need therapies that currently have trouble entering the brain.
✕Less likely to help
People whose conditions are unrelated to limited brain drug access, or those who cannot undergo experimental delivery methods, may not receive benefit from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient’s perspective, researchers are creating and testing small protein-like pieces (peptides) that briefly open tiny gaps between brain blood vessel cells so medicines can pass through the blood–brain barrier. They will use computer screening and 3‑D lab models of the blood–brain barrier to design the best peptides, then test them in living systems to confirm they improve delivery of both small drugs and larger therapeutic proteins. The approach targets cadherin-mediated cell contacts to make the barrier momentarily more porous in a controlled, non-invasive way. The team aims to optimize safety, selectivity for the brain over other blood vessels, and the amount of drug that reaches the brain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow many existing and new brain-targeted medicines to reach the brain more effectively, potentially improving treatment for Alzheimer’s and other CNS disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory and animal studies of related peptides (e.g., HAVN1 and DWI) have shown promising selective BBB modulation, but translating this into safe human treatments remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Siahaan, Teruna J. — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Siahaan, Teruna J.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.