A novel approach to treating neuroinflammation

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Over recent years it has become clear that inflammation in the brain may be a key factor contributing to many psychiatric and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and depression. Unfortunately, standard anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibruprofen do not help, because the way they are formulated stops them from being able to get into the brain, which is surrounded by a special protective layer called the blood-brain barrier. We have accessed a new formulation of a widely-used anti-inflammatory drug which has been specifically designed to have increased brain penetration. In this project we will show that this formulation can reduce brain inflammation in mice, and that it can penetrate the blood-brain barrier in human cells. If successful, this evidence will justify trying the newly formulated drug in humans, with first studies expected to start in 2022\. These first human studies will be for people undergoing elective surgeries such as hip replacements, which tends to cause a short-term inflammation in the brain as well as other parts of the body. As part of this project, we will develop a digital tool that allows us to detect who is at highest risk of developing cognitive problems as a result of these types of surgery. This will be used to select patients for future studies of the drug, and also to help doctors and patients understand and prospectively treat the brain-related risks associated with elective surgeries.