Skip to main content
  • Where to buy
  • Company
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Events
  • Support
    • Laboratory Planning
    • Register a Product
    • Register Your Product (USA & Canada Only)
  • Contact
  • U.S.A.
  • Deutschland
  • España
  • France
  • Italia
  • Brasil
  • 日本
  • 中国
Home ELGA LabWater
  • Products
    • PURELAB
    • CENTRA
    • MEDICA
    • BIOPURE
    • ELGA Full Product Range
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
  • Products
    • PURELAB
    • CENTRA
    • MEDICA
      • Hubgrade
      • MEDICA BIOX
    • BIOPURE
    • ELGA Full Product Range
      • PURELAB® Classic
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
      • Hochleistungsflüssigkeitschromatographie (HPLC)
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • Blog
      • Analytical Chemistry
      • Clinical & Pharma
      • Cool Science
      • Environment and sustainability
      • Life in the lab
      • Purelab product design
      • Science of the future
      • Water Purity
      • Water in the lab
    • Case Studies
      • Abbott Diagnostics chooses ELGA MEDICA systems in South Asia
      • Beam Me Up, Scotty: PURELAB® Option Q Delivers Essential Ultra Pure Water
      • Argenta chooses DKSH New Zealand to deliver Ultrapure water in Animal Pharma
      • Clean Water for a Clean Future
      • LS Scientific & ELGA deliver UltraPure water to the NAFDAC Laboratory
      • Lifebrain Group chooses ELGA as water partner for new modern 24/7 PCR-COVID-19 laboratory in Vienna, Austria.
      • Critital Tests Benefit from PURELAB® Option Reliable Pure Water
      • DASA: The biggest medical diagnostics company in Brazil
      • ELGA helps immuneserology labs maximize uptime
      • Fondazione Telethon Continues to Choose ELGA Labwater as a Trusted Partner
      • Importance of ultrapure Type 1+ water for the development of generic medicines
      • MEDICA® Pro selected for Siemens ADVIA® analyzers at City General Hospital
      • Optimale Wasserqualität für mikrobiologische Forschung und Lehre
      • PURELAB® Option R Guarantees Pure Water for Leading Microfluidics Technology
      • PURELAB® Pulse Delivers Reliable Water Quality and Quantity for a Wide Range of Applications
      • PURELAB® flex: an ideal training system for today's research method
      • Powering Cutting-Edge Gene Research
      • Sichere Reinstwasserversorgung für präzise Produkttests
      • Zentrale Reinstwasser-Aufbereitung für Analyser
      • ELGA LabWater and Beckman Coulter Join Forces
      • Applied New Technologies Department Improves ICP, IC & HPLC Sample Turnaround Times with PURELAB®
      • Unlocking the secrets of the Antarctic with the aid of ultrapure water
      • Advancing Genetic Technologies
      • Cross Infection Control: Pure and Simple
      • Researching effective new ways to prevent cardiovascular disease at the University of Columbia
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
      • HPLC Water Purity
      • HPLC in Pharma
      • Reducing Clinical Risks
      • Sustainability
  • U.S.A.
  • Deutschland
  • España
  • France
  • Italia
  • Brasil
  • 日本
  • 中国
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Impressum

Let's talk about lab water

  • Categories
    • Analytical Chemistry
    • Clinical & Pharma
    • Cool Science
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Future Science
    • Life in The Lab
    • PURELAB Product Design
    • Science of the Future
    • Water In The Lab
    • Water Purity
  • Authors
    • ELGA Editorial Team_cloned
    • ELGA Editorial Team
    • Natasha Zarach
    • Dr Paul Whitehead
    • Dr Alison Halliday
    • John Walker
Clinical & Pharma
Science of the Future

Can Clay Help Control The Release Of Drugs For Treating Alzheimer’s Disease?

1 Jun 2020
- by Dr Alison Halliday

Senior marriage sitting on the sofa and looking at old photos

A new study demonstrates the potential of clay-based nanocarrier systems for improving the oral delivery of drugs to treat the most common type of dementia.

Almost 47 million people worldwide are living with dementia – and predictions suggest that these numbers will double every 20 years. Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common type, accounting for about two-thirds of cases in older people. A person will experience problems affecting their memory, communication and other cognitive abilities.

Sadly, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease – and a person’s symptoms will get progressively worse over time. But medications are currently available that may help reduce some symptoms and maximise a person’s quality of life for as long as possible. Our increased understanding of the biology of the disease is also fuelling the development of a wave of new targeted drugs that aim to slow down or stop the progression of the disease.

But developing drug formulations that are easy to take – and can deliver and maintain safe and effective doses within the body – poses challenges for researchers.

Challenges With Oral Formulations

Drugs that can be taken by mouth – for example, as pills or capsules – are usually preferred by patients. But the drug will often be rapidly released into the body – leading to short-lived high levels in the bloodstream followed by a sharp fall. So a patient would need to take regular doses, increasing their risk of side effects.

Scientists are aiming to develop innovative oral drug delivery systems that can help maintain constant and effective levels over long periods with a single dose. Clay minerals offer promise as materials for these drug carriers as they are inert, non-toxic, and may also have properties that help induce the release of the active ingredient.

Encapsulated Clay-Based Nanocarriers

In a new study, published in Applied Clay Science, researchers explore the potential of clay-based nanocarriers for the controlled release of orally administered neuroprotective drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.1

The team developed four systems based on two clay minerals (montmorillonite and halloysite) and two potential drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease. They then tested their effects on human nerve cells grown in the laboratory – showing that they can protect them from damage in a similar manner to pure drugs. However, the team found that drug release occurred very quickly in a simulated gastrointestinal tract.

The researchers then added a biopolymer coating – a blend of alginate from brown algae and the corn protein zein – and showed that alginate–[email protected] derivate/halloysite nanocomposite beads exhibited controlled drug release along the entire simulated gastrointestinal tract. The team used ultrapure water generated from an ELGA in–house laboratory water purification system to reduce the risk of adding contaminants that may affect their results.

Better For Patients

The study suggests that clay-based drug delivery systems with biopolymer coatings offer a promising route for improving the controlled oral delivery of potential new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. These innovative new drug formulations could help improve the effectiveness of treatment while reducing side effects for patients.

Why Choose ELGA LabWater?

ELGA has been a trusted name in pure and ultrapure water since 1937. Our dedication to ultrapure and pure water is a guarantee that we will continue to provide the best solutions with the best service.


Reference:
Garcia–Vazquez R. et al. Clay-based hybrids for controlled release of 7–azaindole derivatives as neuroprotective drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Applied Clay Science 2020; 189: 105541 


Dr Alison Halliday
After completing an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Genetics at Sheffield University, Alison was awarded a PhD in Human Molecular Genetics at the University of Newcastle. She carried out five years as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UCL, investigating the genes involved in childhood obesity syndrome. Moving into science communications, she spent ten years at Cancer Research UK engaging the public about the charity’s work. She now specialises in writing about research across the life sciences, medicine and health.

Download our Going Green Report Now

Are lab water impurities compromising your research on environmental water contaminants?

Learn how fellow reserachers are contributing to the fight against water contaminants

              Download your copy of the full report here

 

Highlights

4 Aug 2022
Pesticides in Dutch drinking water
1 Aug 2022
Das bringt die Zukunft für die Pharmaindustrie und ihr Laborwasser
25 Jul 2022
Exploring natural compounds for mastitis control
18 Jul 2022
A new photothermal device for seawater desalination
11 Jul 2022
Paving the way for clean 3D bioprinting
4 Jul 2022
Monitoring the quality of drinking water in South Korea
27 Jun 2022
Is it time to ditch reusable plastic water bottles?
20 Jun 2022
Honeysuckle berries: a promising source of bioactive compounds

Categories

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Clinical & Pharma
  • Cool Science
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Future Science
  • Life in The Lab
  • PURELAB Product Design
  • Science of the Future
  • Water In The Lab
  • Water Purity

Video

  • Enquiry
  • Get a Quote
  • Book a Demo
  • Find an Approved Partner

Enquiry

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Get a Quote

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Book a Demo

Please check this to confirm that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Call us

Can't find what you are looking for?

Support Number
+44 (0)20 3567 7300
United Kingdom Sales
+44 (0)1628 879 704
United States of America Sales
+1 877-315-3542
France Sales
+33 1 40 83 65 00
China Sales
+86 400-616-8882

 

ELGA LabWater US Headquarters

ELGA LabWater North America
5 Earl Ct Suite 100
Woodridge, IL 60517
USA

Tel: 630-343-5251

ELGA LabWater UK Headquarters

Lane End Business Park
Lane End, High Wycombe
HP14 3BY
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 203 567 7300
F: +44 (0) 203 567 7205

Case Studies

  • Abbott Diagnostics
  • DASA Medical Diagnostics
  • NeoDIN Medical Institute
  • North Staffordshire NHS Trust
  • Olsberg Vocational College

Resources

  • Learn About Ultrapure Water
  • Guides and White Papers
  • Purification Technologies
  • Applications
  • Impurities In Water

Blogs

  • Latest Blog
  • Water Purity - Different Types of Pure Water
  • What is Clinical Laboratory Reagent Water (CLSI)?
  • What is Total Organic Carbon (TOC)?
  • Language
    • Deutsch
    • English
    • Español
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Português
    • 日本語
    • 中文
  • Other Veolia Sites
    • Veolia
    • Veolia Foundation
    • Veolia Water Technologies

© VWS (UK) Ltd. trading as ELGA LabWater. 2022 - All rights reserved.
ELGA is the global laboratory water brand name of Veolia.

  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Impressum
Elga Veolia
TOP

© 2017 ELGA Veolia