Brain inflammation treatment could be ally in fight against dementia

Samira Aghlara-Fotovat
Photo Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Scientists from Rice University and Houston Methodist have developed a new way to reduce inflammation in the brain, a discovery that could help fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The team created “AstroCapsules,” small hydrogel capsules that enclose human astrocytes ⎯ star-shaped brain cells that support healthy nervous system function. Inside the capsules, the cells were engineered to release interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, an anti-inflammatory protein. Tests in human brain organoids and mouse models showed the treatment lowered neuroinflammation and resisted immune rejection.

Rice bioengineer Omid Veiseh, whose lab studies how to design biomaterials that work with the immune system, is co-corresponding author on the paper published in Biomaterials.

“Encapsulating cells in a way that shields them from immune attack has been a central challenge in the field,” said Veiseh, professor of bioengineering at Rice, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar and director of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad. “In our lab, we have been working on biomaterials for many years, and this project was an opportunity to draw from that experience to address the uniquely complex immune environment of the brain. Our hope is that this work will help move cell therapies closer to becoming real treatment options for patients with neurodegenerative disease.”

Image Credit: Aghlara-Fotovat et al., 2025, Biomaterials
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

The study was co-led by Robert Krencik, an associate professor in the Center for Neuroregeneration and Department of Neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. Krencik said the system “solves several current problems with cell-based therapeutics to the nervous system.”

“Because the capsules will form a physical barrier between the implanted astrocytes and brain tissue, cells are expected to locally secrete anti-inflammatory proteins while avoiding immune rejection and unwanted migration throughout the brain,” Krencik said. “This will increase stability of the treatment while reducing side effects.”

Co-first authors on the paper are Rice alumna Samira Aghlara-Fotovat; Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani, a postdoctoral researcher working both in Veiseh’s lab at Rice and on Krencik’s team at Houston Methodist; and Maria Montalvo-Parra at Houston Methodist.

Omid Veiseh and Samira Aghlara-Fotovat
Photo Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

More than 1 million Texans provide unpaid care for loved ones with dementia, valued at over $33 billion annually, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s alone affects an estimated 460,000 Texans over age 65. The state ranks third nationally in Alzheimer’s cases and second in deaths.

The discovery underscores the strength of Texas research institutions and comes as voters consider Proposition 14 this November. The measure would provide $3 billion over 10 years to establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Modeled on the state’s successful Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, the program would fund competitive projects to accelerate breakthroughs in dementia research.

“Texas has an extraordinary opportunity,” Veiseh said. “With the right support, we can take promising advances in brain health from our labs into clinics while positioning Texas as a leader in the fight against dementia.”

Published in journal: Biomaterials

Title: Delivery of cytokines via encapsulated human astrocytes for neural immunomodulation

Authors: Samira Aghlara-Fotovat,  Maria D. Montalvo-Parra,  Sajedeh Nasr Esfahani,  Katherine E. Rosner,  Suki Oji,  Samantha Fleury,  Megh D. Patel,  Aboud Tahanis,  Caroline Cvetkovic,  Omid Veiseh,  Robert Krencik

Source/Credit: Rice University | Silvia Cernea Clark

Reference Number: btech092625_01

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