Improved Drug Delivery to Brain Metastases by Peptide-Mediated Permeabilization of the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Patients with melanoma have a high risk of developing brain metastasis, which is associated with a dismal prognosis. During early stages of metastasis development, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is likely intact, which inhibits sufficient drug delivery into the metastatic lesions. We investigated the ability of the peptide, K16ApoE, to permeabilize the BBB for improved treatment with targeted therapies preclinically.

Integrin α β can substitute for collagen-binding β -integrins in vivo to maintain a homeostatic interstitial fluid pressure.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Collagen-binding β -integrins function physiologically in cellular control of dermal interstitial fluid pressure (P ) in vivo and thereby participate in control of extravascular fluid volume. During anaphylaxis, simulated by injection of compound 48/80, integrin α β takes over this physiological function. Here we addressed the question whether integrin α β can replace collagen-binding β -integrin to maintain a long-term homeostatic P .