Nanoparticles Enter One's Brain Via Olfactory Bulb

MO-411 writes "An article in Nature News briefly looks at nanoparticles' entry into the brains of lab rats. The fascinating point is that the 35-nanometer particles entered via the olfactory passageways. Scientist confirmed this via plugging one side of the a rats nose. This is significant, as Ken Donaldson, a toxicologist at the University of Edinburgh, UK says. 'I would never have thought of looking for inhaled nanoparticles in the brain.' Think about it -- everything from kitty litter to wallboard dust is likely ending up inside the one's brain, circumventing the blood/brain barrier and all its protections. It also makes for an interesting delivery mechanism for other substances..."

Comments

aside from the tempting drug references

[hurtstotouchfire]

Wow this article is really just an invitation isn't it. But the article does talk about other interesting realms this might affect. This may also lead to a fuller understanding of the health effects of the nanosized particles produced by diesel engines.

Inhalation Toxicology, the journal referenced at the bottom of the article, has some other interesting articles on nanoparticles. I searched for all the cancer-related articles that mention nanoparticles, and they do have several articles discussing nanoparticles being used in immunizations and various 'cures', which is kind of encouraging. It seems to me that any medication that we could just shoot through the brain/blood barrier, would be quicker and possibly more effective.

Unfortunately, the archived articles require a membership, that I'm too lazy to get, to read.

Re:Does this mean...

[rollout]

Start the office pool - who's going to be the first athelete to use this excuse for a failed steroid test?

Evolution

[Libertarian_Geek]

Please, don't start a huge tangent of creationism vs. evolution.
So, I wonder why we evolved (were given if you prefer) this "feature". Does this have anything to do with how we remember or compare smells? What about fossilized or mummified brains, can we gather information about the environment of earlier periods using this? What effect does this play on allergies? Just wondering.