ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR - HONG CHEN

Hong Chen explores a new method to bypass the brain’s natural shield (the blood-brain barrier) and deliver drugs right to the tumour and at the exact dose needed to treat the cancer.

This is the first project to develop a nasal spray to non-invasively deliver drugs to the brain. It pairs several technologies – nanoparticles which house the drug – focused ultrasound and microbubbles which directs the drug containing nanoparticles to where they need to go in the brain – all via delivery through the nose.

Drug therapy for brain cancer is challenging because the blood-brain barrier makes it difficult for drugs to penetrate and accumulate at the right dosage needed to have an effect. This potential new method provides a non-invasive and effective way to get the drugs right to where they need to be working.