The Memory & Alzheimer’s Research Center in Hawaii is testing a “Brainshuttle” antibody fragment to ferry Alzheimer’s drugs across the blood–brain barrier more effectively. About 32,000 people in Hawaii have Alzheimer’s disease; this delivery method aims to reduce required doses while speeding drug action. Early results show faster amyloid clearance and no brain bleeding or swelling observed so far. Researchers say larger studies are needed to confirm benefits and long-term safety.
New “Brainshuttle” Trial in Hawaii Shows Faster, Safer Delivery of Alzheimer’s Drugs
The Memory & Alzheimer’s Research Center in Hawaii is testing a “Brainshuttle” antibody fragment to ferry Alzheimer’s drugs across the blood–brain barrier more effectively. About 32,000 people in Hawaii have Alzheimer’s disease; this delivery method aims to reduce required doses while speeding drug action. Early results show faster amyloid clearance and no brain bleeding or swelling observed so far. Researchers say larger studies are needed to confirm benefits and long-term safety.
04:31 PM, 11/21/2025Health
HONOLULU — About 32,000 people in Hawaii are living with Alzheimer’s disease. While a cure remains out of reach, researchers are testing new approaches to make treatments safer and faster-acting.
The Memory & Alzheimer’s Research Center in Hawaii is partnering with international collaborators to evaluate medications that may lower risk and produce quicker clinical effects. One promising approach being studied uses a “Brainshuttle” — a fragment of an antibody designed to help therapeutic compounds cross the blood–brain barrier more efficiently.
How the Brainshuttle works
Medical specialists at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience explain that the blood–brain barrier protects the brain from harmful substances, but it also limits how much of many drugs can enter brain tissue. The Brainshuttle is engineered to attach to a medication and exploit the brain’s natural transport systems to carry the drug across the barrier.
Because the brain has a dense network of capillaries, the shuttle plus its medication “cargo” can penetrate more deeply and distribute more evenly across regions of the brain, which may allow the therapeutic to act more rapidly and at lower doses than current delivery methods.
Early results and safety
Preliminary findings from the study indicate more rapid clearance of amyloid proteins — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s pathology — compared with traditional delivery approaches. Importantly, because the Brainshuttle method may require lower overall drug doses, investigators have not observed the brain bleeding or swelling that has been a concern with some approved antibody therapies (sometimes referred to as ARIA, amyloid-related imaging abnormalities).
What this means and next steps
Researchers caution that these results are early and come from ongoing trials. Nonetheless, the approach represents a meaningful advance in efforts to develop safer, more effective therapies by improving how drugs reach and act within the brain. Larger, longer-term studies will be needed to confirm clinical benefit and safety.
Note: The trial remains under investigation. Patients and caregivers interested in participating or learning more should contact the Memory & Alzheimer’s Research Center or their healthcare provider for current information on enrollment and eligibility.