Presented to the AACT 2015 Conference

The noninvasive intranasal method of bypasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to deliver and target therapeutics to the CNS to treat a variety of disorders. Therapeutics include small molecules, peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, stem cells, T cells and other therapeutic cells. This delivery, targeting and treatment method relies on rapid extracellular delivery along the olfactory and trigeminal neural pathways from the nasal mucosa to the brain and, once inside the brain, on the perivascular pump mechanism of the cerebral vasculature that can rapidly move drugs and cells throughout the CNS. Intranasal delivery not only delivers a variety of therapeutics to the CNS but also reduces systemic exposure and unwanted side effects. Different formulations have also be used to facilitate the delivery of poorly water soluble therapeutics, to further reduce systemic exposure to therapeutics and to enhance delivery of therapeutics to the CNS. Nasal drug delivery devices have been developed to facilitate delivery to the upper third of the nasal cavity to enhance delivery of therapeutics to the CNS. Using this method intranasal therapeutics including adult stem cells and T cells, have been shown to treat stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors, MS and other CNS disorders in animal models. Intranasal insulin has been shown in multiple phase 2 clinical trials to improve memory in both normal adults and in patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease with no change in the blood levels of insulin or glucose. Intranasal delivery is changing the way we treat CNS disorders.

Biography

Dr. William H. Frey II is Senior Director of Neurosciences Research at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Frey discovered the intranasal method for bypassing the blood-brain barrier to target therapeutics to the CNS while reducing systemic exposure. Intranasal insulin has been shown in clinical trials to improve memory in both Alzheimer’s patients and normal adults. Intranasal stem cell and T cell delivery to the CNS, discovered with Dr. Danielyan, has been validated in animals for treating Parkinson’s, stroke, MS, brain tumors, SCI and other brain disorders. Dr. Frey earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University in 1975.