SHRINK-WRAPPING your brain may not sound like a good idea, but it could help keep bacteria at bay following surgery.
The usual way to treat brain infections is to give a high dose of antibiotics. That ensures enough of the drug gets across the blood-brain barrier, but it also raises the risk of side effects. What if a lower dose could be delivered directly to the brain?
A team led by Shih-Jung Liu of Chang Gung University in Taiwan tried lacing a polymer film with an antibiotic. They then implanted the film over the surface of healthy rats' brains and monitored the uptake of the drug. All the antibiotic was absorbed after eight weeks, with no side effects.
The film dissolves in the process, so any recipient will not need additional surgery to remove it (ACS Chemical Neuroscience, doi.org/nnh).
This article appeared in print under the headline "Brain wrap wards off infection"
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