Caltech researchers have discovered a breakthrough in designing viral vectors that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which until now has limited the study of the brain and the development of drugs to treat brain disorders. In a new study, the team identified carbonic anhydrase IV (CA-IV), an enzyme that allows certain viral vectors to pass through the BBB. This research could lead to new approaches in creating viral vectors for therapeutic and research applications, while also building resilience against infectious pathogens. The study used a multidisciplinary approach combining protein chemistry, molecular biology, and data science that resulted in identifying how viral vectors interact with proteins on the BBB, and the uncovering of an ancient enzyme that had not previously facilitated any kind of BBB-crossing process. Ultimately, understanding these mechanisms could enable personalized treatments across diverse human populations for these previously limited disorders.
