Two of the most aggressive forms of neurological illness, Alzheimer’s disease and brain cancer, may see tougher fights now that scientists have opened up the blood-brain barrier in humans for the first time.
The surgery is already being hailed as a breakthrough. Considered the “front frontier” in neuroscience, the blood-brain barrier is the sheath of cells that separates the organ from the rest of the body. While it stops harmful toxins in the blood from hijacking vital tissues, it also prevents helpful drugs from rooting out tumors and disease. But now scientists say all that could change.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/blood-brain-barrier-opened-first-time-human-patients-cancer-breakthrough-307737
[Additional Coverage]: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26432-brain-barrier-opened-for-first-time-to-treat-cancer.html
[Abstract]: http://www.xcdsystem.com/fus2014/abstract/abstractforms/screen_view_abstract_public.cfm?ID=32349
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday October 25 2014, @12:07AM
Scientists from Harvard Medical School have discovered a way of turning stem cells into killing machines to fight brain cancer. [bbc.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday October 25 2014, @01:35AM
Scientists have managed to open the BBB in people using an ultrasound brain implant and an injection of microbubbles.
When ultrasound waves meet microbubbles in the blood, they make the bubbles vibrate. This pushes apart the cells of the BBB.
What is wrong with a summary that gives spoilers?
Isn't part of the reason we come to SoylentNews to save us time, and eliminate opening a dozen pages to ferret out the answers?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Saturday October 25 2014, @10:29AM
Learn this one cheap trick to open the blood-brain barrier!
You won't believe what happened next.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Saturday October 25 2014, @11:16AM
So, once the disease is (hopefully) cured, can we close it back again? It's there for a reason, ain't it?
prevents helpful drugs from rooting out tumors and disease and part of the brain.
ftfy.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by HiThere on Saturday October 25 2014, @06:03PM
If this is the technique I think it is (bubbles excited by ultrasound) the barrier starts closing again in hours and is closed within a couple of days.
OTOH, I do still worry about the consequences of opening it even for a short period of time, but presumably that's why they do small scale tests before general deployment.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.