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Nanoparticles Enter One's Brain Via Olfactory Bulb

Posted by timothy on from the bulb-control-for-the-brain dept.

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..."

8 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Does this mean... by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...that I'll be able to inhale caffeine ?

    --

    -
    Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
    1. Re:Does this mean... by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 3, Funny

      if it isn't illegal, it isn't fun. Ever heard of someone who had a good time sniffing salt or pepper?

    2. Re:Does this mean... by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nope, but I already heard of someone who had a good time making others sniffing pepper.

      --

      -
      Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
  2. aside from the tempting drug references by hurtstotouchfire · · Score: 4, Interesting
    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.

  3. Can Nanoparticles Enter Our Brains? by rpiquepa · · Score: 4, Informative

    You'll find more details and references in this overview, including an article from the Guardian. So far, the story is about rats, but Professor Gunter Oberdorster of the University of Rochester in New York said: "It's too early to be alarmed, because we don't yet know what the particles might do in humans. We shouldn't stop working with them, we should just look for what adverse effects these particles might cause." Now, more experiments are needed to determine how nanoparticles can enter our brains. In the mean time, let's hope that nanotechnology research will continue and will not be harmed by a moratorium.

  4. Yikes by Curtman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Next time someone farts near me they're liable to get a swift fist to the face.

  5. Re:Feature by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's impossible. If God was like Bill Gates we wouldn't be able to get along without oftenly violently crashing into eachother, the world would be littered with bugs, sometime the weather would be so fucked up that houses collapse under it, and most of the religion wouldn't make sense.
    Wait a minute...

  6. ok now lets get to the real question... by shaitand · · Score: 3, Funny

    If the ladies can no longer breath through their noses, how does this bode for oral sex?

    Am I the only one who is concerned that replacement females could become scarce if they are dying left and right from lack of oxygen?

    This is a serious issue, perhaps we should just keep this bit of research to ourselves gentlemen.