Recent studies have shown that inhibiting a specific brain enzyme can be beneficial in treating various conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. However, the drugs developed to target this enzyme have struggled to penetrate the brain due to the blood-brain barrier, hindering their clinical development.
A renewal of hope for these drugs came when researchers found the same enzyme present in the gut during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flareups. This discovery provided a new avenue to address both neurological and gut diseases through a simple oral medication.
Scientists have long been working to inhibit the brain enzyme GCP2, which is known to increase in cases of stroke and neurological dysfunction. Despite developing drugs to target this enzyme, they were unable to effectively deliver them to the brain due to the blood-brain barrier.
When researchers in gastroenterology found that the same enzyme was elevated in cases of IBD, it sparked a new approach. Testing the drugs on animals with IBD symptoms showed promising results, leading to the realization that the drugs could be effective in the gut instead of the brain.
By administering potent drugs orally, researchers were able to effectively target
