A study from the University of Eastern Finland has demonstrated that the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) can act as an alternative delivery pathway for creatine derivatives into the brain.
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have identified a transporter protein that could offer a new way to deliver creatine and other therapeutic compounds into the brain.
The study investigated the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT), which naturally transports vitamins and other essential nutrients around the body. The findings suggest it could provide an alternative route for delivering creatine derivatives across the blood-brain barrier, potentially leading to new methods for treating neurological disorders.
Overcoming the blood-brain barrier
Delivering medicines to the brain is a major challenge in pharmaceutical research, due to the blood-brain barrier protecting the central nervous system by restricting the passage of many substances from the bloodstream into the brain – including numerous potential treatments.
However, the barrier also contains specialised transport systems that allow essential nutrients to enter the brain.
The team used computer modelling, laboratory experiments and mouse studies to discover whether SMVT could improve creatine delivery to the brain, which are central in cellular energy metabolism and help cells meet their energy requirements.
They designed four modified creatine molecules and tested their ability to enter human glioblastoma cells and mouse neurons. The team confirmed that SMVT was present and functional in both cell types, with one compound, COMP 1, showing particularly promising uptake.
The researchers then tested COMP 1 in mice and found that it accumulated in brain tissue, suggesting it could cross the blood-brain barrier. However, the amount detected was substantially lower than normal levels of naturally occurring creatine and declined relatively quickly.
Potential implications for a rare neurological disorder
The findings gave the researchers early evidence that SMVT could offer an alternative route for delivering creatine derivatives into the brain, potentially benefiting research into creatine transporter deficiency syndrome.
The condition can lead to a range of developmental disabilities, making effective delivery of creatine to the central nervous system an important research goal.
By identifying an alternative transport pathway, the researchers have highlighted a potential strategy for addressing limitations in conventional creatine transport. However, more research will be needed to determine whether the approach can improve creatine delivery sufficiently to benefit people with the condition.
The findings may also be useful for improving the delivery of other therapeutic compounds into the brain, supporting the development of new treatments for a wide range of neurological conditions.
The most significant outcome of this study is that SMVT proved to be a suitable transporter for delivering different types of compounds into the brain. The blood-brain barrier is not merely a barrier; it also contains transport systems that allow essential nutrients to reach the brain. Rather than trying to bypass the blood-brain barrier, our goal is to take advantage of its own transport mechanisms to deliver compounds into the brain. Our results suggest that SMVT could offer a promising new opportunity for this purpose.”
Associate Professor Kristiina Huttunen, Research Director, School of Pharmacy, the University of Eastern Finland
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