Korean researchers have successfully developed a way of reducing damage to the brain caused by cerebral infarction with one of rare earth minerals which are generally used for energy and information technology. This is the first time that this has ever been developed in the world.
The researchers are Hyeon Taeg-hwan, professor at the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, and Lee Seung-hoon, professor at Seoul National University Hospital.
The team has developed ceria nano particle, a kind of rare earth mineral, which is capable of curbing the damage from cerebral infarction in a living body through the effect of anti-oxidization and anti-cell self-destruction.
Brain blood vessel disease is the second largest cause of death in Korea, following cancer. The disease causes serious trauma to the patients’ family members and huge social and economic costs. Despite such seriousness, there have been no nerve protectants officially recognized in clinics, except blood clot buster, in cerebral infarction.
The research team has produced a tiny 3-nanometer particle enabling ceria nano particle, a kind of rare earth mineral, to work in the living body, using anti-oxidant catalyst in the chemical process.
Being carried in the Angewandte Chemie, a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that covers all aspects of chemistry, the research paper was put online on Sept. 12. The paper has also been chosen as VIP, which is given to the top five percent of the papers carried in the magazine.