SzSA YearBook 2016/17

SZENT-GYÖRGYI JUNIOR MENTORS
SZILVIA VESZELKA
Institute of Biophysics
Biological Research Center of the
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Address: 6726 Temesvári krt. 62., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
E: veszelka.szilvia@brc.mta.hu
T: +36 62/599-600
RESEARCH AREA
Pharmaceutical treatment of most disorders of the central
nervous system, including neurodegenerative diseases
and brain tumors, is restricted due to the poor penetration
of drugs across the blood-brain barrier, the major entry
route for therapeutic compounds to the central nervous
system. The great majority of neuropharmaceutical candidates,
hydrophilic molecules, biopharmaceuticals, and
efflux transporter ligands have a low permeability across
the blood-brain barrier. Biocompatible and biodegradable
drug targeting systems, so-called nanocarriers hold a great
promise. Nanovesicles which can encorporate drug cargos
and present on their surfaces ligands for blood-brain barrier
endogenous nutrient transporters achieve increased specificity
and efficacy for drug delivery across the blood-brain
barrier. Combination of such ligands is a novel and innovative
idea which could contribute to develop systems for
better treatment of central nervous system diseases.
TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE IN THE LAB
In vitro cell culture works, isolation of brain endothelial cells
(rat/mouse), toxicity measurements (MTT/LDH tests, double
cell nuclei staining, real-time cell monitoring assay), resistance
measurement, cell uptake and blood-brain barrier
transport experiments, immunohistochemistry, confocal
microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, spectrofluorometer
measurements. Preparation of nanoparticles, zeta
potential and size measurements.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Sántha, P., Veszelka, S., Hoyk, Z., Mészáros, M., Walter, FR.,
Tóth, AE., Kiss, L., Kincses, A., Oláh, Z., Seprényi, G., Rákhely,
G., Dér, A., Pákáski, M., Kálmán, J., Kittel, Á., Deli, MA. (2016)
Restraint stress-induced morphological changes at the
blood-brain barrier in adult rats. Front Mol Neurosci 8:
Paper 88. 15 p.
Walter, FR., Veszelka, S., Pásztói, M., Péterfi, ZA., Tóth, A.,
Rákhely, G., Cervenak, L., Ábrahám, CS., Deli, MA. (2015)
Tesmilifene modifies brain endothelial functions and opens
the blood-brain/blood-glioma barrier. J Neurochem 134:
1040-1054.
Veszelka, S., Tóth, A.E., Walter, F.R., Datki, Z., Mózes, E., Fülöp,
L, Bozsó, Z., Hellinger, É., Vastag, M., Orsolits, B., Környei, Z.,
Penke, B., Deli, M.A. (2013) Docosahexaenoic acid reduces
amyloid β-induced toxicity in cells of the neurovascular
unit. J Alzheimers Dis 36: 487-501.
Veszelka, S., Kittel, Á., Deli, M.A. (2011) Tools of Modelling
Blood-Brain Barrier Penetrability: Chapter 9. In: Tihanyi K ,
Vastag M (editors), Solubility, Delivery and ADME Problems
of Drugs and Drug-Candidates. 232 p., Washington:
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd., 2011. pp. 166-188.
Veszelka, S., Pásztói, M., Farkas, AE., Krizbai, I., Ngo,
TK., Niwa, M., Abrahám, C., Deli, MA. (2007) Pentosan
polysulfate protects brain endothelial cells against bacterial
lipopolysaccharide-induced damages. Neurochem Int 50:
219-228.
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