A newly published study in Bioactive Materials finds that a nasal delivery system for cannabidiol (CBD) may significantly improve how efficiently the compound reaches the brain, while also reducing core autism-related symptoms.
Researchers from the University of Haifa and Jerusalem College of Technology developed CBD-loaded polymeric micelles designed for intranasal, or nose-to-brain, delivery. The goal was to create a non-invasive method of administration that could bypass the blood-brain barrier and increase CBD bioavailability in the brain, something that remains a major challenge with orally delivered treatments.
According to the study, the micelles showed strong compatibility and permeability in a human nasal cell model, suggesting they may be well suited for nasal administration. The researchers also confirmed through bioimaging that the CBD-loaded micelles accumulated in the brains of ASD-like rats after intranasal use.
The study found that intranasal administration of the CBD formulation at a 5 milligram per kilogram dose led to a 27.8% higher concentration of CBD in the brain after 20 minutes compared to oral administration, even though the oral dose was three times higher at 15 milligrams per kilogram. That suggests the intranasal formulation may provide a more direct and efficient route for delivering CBD to the brain.
Researchers also report that the nanoformulation improved core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder in behavioral studies involving rats. Given that neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, affect an estimated 5.9% of the global population, the findings point to a potentially important new avenue for future treatment development.
The study concludes by stating:
The CBD pharmacokinetics upon the i.n. (dose of 5 mg/kg) and oral (15 mg/kg) administration of the loaded polymeric micelles shows a 27.8% increase of the CBD concentration in the brain of ASD-like rats 20 min after i.n. administration, despite the 3-fold decrease in the dose. Finally, the efficacy of this nanoformulation to improve the core symptoms of ASD is demonstrated in behavioral studies in a behavioral model of the disorder in rats.
