A report on a new smart drug delivery system has been introduced by a team of scientists in New York today. This new system has been developed to reduce inflammation in patients with damaged nervous tissue. The smart drug technology may also help treat spinal cord injuries and other neurological issues as well.

According to a study in the journal Advanced Materials, the smart drug delivery system uses extremely thin biomaterials implanted in the body. It also protects nerve fibers (axons) that connect nerve cells in injured neural tissues.

During recovery from central nervous system diseases and injuries, inflammation is known to be a major factor.

Spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and other neurological disorders can be treated by some potential regenerative medicine approaches.

However, it is already known that suppressing the immune system during treatment sometimes leads to side effects and boosts the risk of infection.

Senior author Ki Bum Lee, Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in the US said, 

“A major goal is to suppress neuroinflammation and restore a healthy micro-environment at sites of neurological disorders.” 

“Our system took four years to develop and has shown enormous potential for smart drug delivery for better treatment of neurological disorders,” Lee added.

The team’s unique drug delivery system consists of ultrathin nanomaterials, sugar polymers, and neural proteins.

The system, which releases an anti-inflammatory molecule (methylprednisolone), can create a favorable micro-environment to promote tissue repair and recovery after neurological injury.

By developing innovative, multifunctional, and reliable drug delivery systems that use nano-bio materials, Lee’s research group aims to improve the treatment of neurological disorders. 

The team of scientists believes that this new system may pave the way for treating not only central nervous system injuries but also other diseases since inflammation is generally associated with a variety of problems such as cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cancer.