Dissertation • Frida Bällgren
- Date: 13 December 2024, 09:15–12:00
- Location: BMC, room A1:111a
- Type: Thesis defence
- Lecturer: Frida Bällgren, PhD Student
- Thesis author: undefined
- DiVA
- Organiser: Department of Pharmacy
- Contact person: Frida Bällgren
- Research topic: Drug development
Frida Bällgren, PhD student at Uppsala University's Department of Pharmacy, defends her thesis: Translational Aspects of Brain-Specific Drug Delivery by Targeting Active Uptake at Brain Barriers, a work in which she introduces new findings about a protein with the potential to deliver drugs to the brain.
Our brain is a complex organ whose many vital functions are protected by the blood-brain barrier: A filter that restricts which substances are allowed to enter the brain. While the barrier stops toxic substances, it also poses a challenge to deliver drugs to the brain.
At Uppsala University's Department of Pharmacy, ongoing research aim to identify methods to cross this barrier. One promising strategy to cross the layer is to load the drug onto transport proteins, and in her thesis, Frida Bällgren presents new findings about the proton-coupled organic cation antiporter – a transporter that is already used for several existing drugs and shows great potential to utilize for future drug candidates.
I her research, Frida Bällgren have studied the antiporter from a number of relevant aspects: Whether the uptake of drugs observed in the brains of rats is also existent in the – in terms of species – more human-like pigs. If the state of disease affects the need for dose adjustments and which methods enables predictions of brain drug levels during early development and in clinic.
Her results show that only minor differences prevail in the uptake of the drug oxycodone in comparative studies in rats and pigs. Her results also show that the transporter remains active in states of inflammation albeit with lower drug concentration in the brain as a consequence. Additionally, no differences in brain drug delivery between male and female animals were identified.
Of clinical interest is that a somewhat higher drug concentration in the brain compared to that in the cerebrospinal fluid of the spinal cord was noted. Thus, differing from what is often assumed. Of scientific relevance is the observation that cell models offer promising tools for early analysis of drug potential in terms of uptake in the brain, which could reduce the need for animal studies and speed up the process to develop new drugs.
Opponent is Joseph Nicolazzo, Monash University (AUS).
Researcher Bio
- Frida Bällgren obtained her Degree of Master of Science in Pharmacy at Uppsala University in 2019. She began her doctoral studies at Uppsala University when she in August 2019 was recruited to Irena Loryan’s research group in Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics.