why can’t we get past the blood brain barrier to cure certain diseases
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The brain is *very* picky about what chemicals are allowed to enter it from the blood. Because most of the time, if an unexpected substance in your blood is trying to get into your brain, it’s not supposed to be there and could kill you. Since many chemicals’ functions are related to how they are shaped, it is hard to make drugs that can do useful jobs in your brain while still “passing” as other substances that are allowed in.
Imagine your brain is like the President’s house, and the blood-brain barrier is like a super strong gate that only allows important people to enter, just like the good nutrients and oxygen that your brain needs to stay healthy.
Now, if a stranger wants to get inside the house, the super strong gate won’t open unless they know the harm this stranger can cause. It’s the same with our blood-brain barrier; it won’t allow anything strange to enter without having any prior knowledge. The gate of the blood-brain barrier is very selective and doesn’t let many things pass through. This makes it difficult for medicines or treatments to reach the brain and fix the problem.
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