Astrocapsules Offer A New Way To Reduce Brain Inflammation

Neuroinflammation is linked to a big of detrimental encephalon disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. A collaborative investigation squad from Houston Methodist and Rice University has developed a measurement to conflict backmost pinch a tiny, bioengineered strategy to present anti-inflammatory proteins to circumstantial targets successful nan brain.

The study, precocious published successful Biomaterials, was led by Robert Krencik, an subordinate professor successful nan Center for Neuroregeneration and Department of Neurosurgery astatine nan Houston Methodist Research Institute. The insubstantial reveals nan creation of AstroCapsules, a revolutionary national of bioengineering and neuroscience that encloses quality astrocytes (star-shaped, resident encephalon cells that are important to patient usability of nan cardinal tense system) wrong mini biocompatible hydrogel capsules.

The researchers recovered that erstwhile astrocytes wrong nan capsules were equipped pinch a secreted anti-inflammatory macromolecule (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist aliases IL-1Ra), they could importantly trim neuroinflammation (measured done inflammatory biomarkers). Importantly, nan AstroCapsules (which are 300 micrometers successful diameter-approximately nan size of ample grains of sand) were confirmed to usability erstwhile implanted into nan brain, showing they could withstand rejection from nan body's immune system. The researchers conducted their investigation utilizing lab-grown quality encephalon insubstantial samples, known arsenic organoids, and by utilizing rodent models.

The researchers said this represents a caller measurement to dainty devastating neurodegenerative diseases and showcases really compartment therapy tin actively diminish damaging inflammation successful nan brain.

"Encapsulating cells successful a measurement that shields them from immune onslaught has been a cardinal situation successful nan field," said nan co-corresponding writer connected nan study, Omid Veiseh, a professor of bioengineering astatine Rice. "In our lab, we person been moving connected biomaterials for galore years, and this task was an opportunity to tie from that acquisition to reside nan uniquely analyzable immune situation of nan brain. Our dream is that this activity will thief move compartment therapies person to becoming existent curen options for patients pinch neurodegenerative disease." 

The study was coauthored by Samira Aghlara-Fotovat, Maria Montalvo-Parra, Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani,
Katherine E. Rosner, Suki Oji, Samantha Fleury, Megh Patel, Aboud Tahanis and Caroline Cvetkovic. Aghlara-Fotovat, Montalvo-Parra and Nasr Esfahani contributed arsenic to nan research.

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Journal reference:

Lenschow, C., et al. (2025). A galanin-positive organization of lumbar spinal cord neurons modulates intersexual arousal and copulatory behaviour successful antheral mice. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63877-2