Scientists have developed the world’s first nanoparticle nasal spray for stroke, allowing brain drug delivery without surgery or injections. By bypassing the blood-brain barrier, it enables rapid use after symptoms appear, supporting early treatment, protecting brain cells, and reducing complications.
The breakthrough was developed by researchers at The University of Hong Kong’s LKS Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with the InnoHK Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC). The team believes the spray could eventually serve as an emergency treatment tool and improve stroke survival and neurological recovery.
Narrow Treatment Window Delays Stroke Care
Ischemic stroke remains one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability. Clot-dissolving drugs and thrombectomy must be given quickly, but limited access, strict criteria, and risks mean over 85% of patients miss timely treatment. Even among those treated successfully, many do not fully recover. As a result, finding fast, safe, and effective early intervention methods continues to be a major global medical challenge.
The research team spent more than 10 years developing the “Nano-in-Micron” technology platform, which later led to the creation of the “NanoPowder” nasal spray.
Aviva Chow Shing-fung said the spray is fast, portable, and easy to use, offering early protection at home or en route to hospital by slowing brain cell death, preserving brain tissue, and buying time for treatment.
Blood-Brain Barrier Limits Drug Effectiveness
According to the professor, more than 90% of central nervous system drugs fail in clinical trials because they are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier, preventing them from reaching the brain and producing therapeutic effects.
To address this problem, the researchers enclosed neuroprotective drugs inside nanoparticles and transformed them into inhalable micrometer-sized powders using particle engineering technology.
The nasal spray functions through four stages: inhalation, deposition, disaggregation, and delivery. After inhalation, the powder dissolves into nanoparticles in nasal mucus, which travel from the nose directly to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier to deliver the drug.
Animal studies showed the spray, used within 30 minutes of stroke, reduced brain damage by over 80% and helped preserve neurological and motor function.
Studies also show the spray may protect the blood-brain barrier, reduce inflammation, and prevent cell death, offering broad brain protection and potentially extending the treatment window.
Nasal Spray Aims to Support Early Stroke Intervention
Shao Zitong said the spray is not a replacement for hospital treatment but an emergency support measure before patients reach the hospital. The aim is to complement existing medical care by reducing brain damage and lowering the risks of death and severe disability through earlier intervention.
Zitong said every second matters in stroke care, as minutes of brain protection can affect recovery. He added the innovation shifts treatment to the pre-hospital stage, enabling early neuroprotection instead of relying only on hospital-based clot removal.
The team is conducting toxicology tests and clinical trials to bring a nasal spray to pharmacies and communities as an emergency stroke treatment. They hope it can serve as a frontline defense during the critical early stages of a stroke. The scientists are consulting emergency doctors and neurologists to ensure the treatment works in real-world medical settings.
Researchers said the “Nano-in-Micron” platform could also deliver small-molecule drugs, biologics, and traditional medicines, and may be adapted to treat neurological and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, motor neuron disease, and meningitis.
Read the original article on: oglobo
Read more:Scientists can block pain signals before they reach the brain