Lester R. Drewes, Ph.D., Named First President of New International Brain Barriers Society

Lester R. Drewes, Ph.D. Medical School Duluth

Honor Recognizes Drewes’ International Expertise in BBB

Lester R. Drewes, Ph.D., professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth Campus, has been named the first president of the newly formed International Brain Barriers Society (IBBS).  Founded by Drewes and 75 researchers and clinical scientists from Europe, Asia and the Americas, the society was formed to a) address the international need for more brain barrier research; b) improve communication among scientists, translational researchers, clinicians and the pharmaceutical industry, and c) offer greater education to public policy makers, patients and the general public about research needed and discoveries related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

“For the last 15 years, my colleagues in this field of research and I have been discussing the need for an organization dedicated to BBB because it is such an important topic that affects a long list of serious health conditions,” commented Drewes.  “We expect our membership campaign to attract approximately 1000 scientists worldwide to join and enjoy improved communications about BBB.  Their collaboration will escalate the amount of positive research results and important new treatments for brain diseases.”

BBB research results are valuable in understanding how to treat many Central Nervous System dysfunctions related to stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and could lead to treatments that minimize these dysfunctions or therapies designed to cure them.   For example, Drewes explained, “Remarkably one-third of epileptic patients respond poorly to anti-seizure drugs.  Understanding how to manipulate the blood brain barrier to open to those drugs would help those patients tremendously, and epilepsy is only one condition among many that would be addressed.”

The blood-brain barrier is a specialized system of cells that shields the brain from harmful substances in the blood stream while it supplies the brain with needed nutrients.  The BBB reacts to therapeutic drugs as harmful so it blocks them from entering the brain.  Therefore, one aim of research is to discover ways of opening the barrier to therapeutic drugs.   

Commenting on the Drewes appointment and the new organization, Richard Ziegler, Ph.D., Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth Campus said, “We are very proud of Dr. Drewes’ leadership in this new organization.  BBB is an important area of study and this campus is honored to be involved through Les. ”

Reacting to news of the organization headed by Drewes, Walter Hall, M.D., M.B.A., head of the Neuro-oncology program at the University of Minnesota commented, "Les Drewes has been a pioneer and long time leader in the investigation of the blood-brain barrier. Because of his leadership in this area of research the field has grown significantly and that is what has lead to the need for the development of this society.  It is only fitting that Dr. Drewes be named the first President of the International Brain Barriers Society."  Dr. Hall is a Professor of Neurosurgery, Radiation Oncology, and Radiology at the University of Minnesota where he helped establish programs in blood-brain barrier disruption chemotherapy, among other major treatment programs.

Dr. Drewes is an internationally-recognized leader in blood-brain barrier research.  In November, 2006, he spoke at two conferences in Korea:  the Annual Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea; and a conference at the Seoul National University.  At the Pharmaceutical Society Convention,  an annual two-day symposium attended by 200 scientists and clinicians, Dr. Drewes’ spoke about “Perspectives on the Blood-brain Barrier: Transporters and Regulation.”  He was one of five speakers in the symposium, Molecular Mechanism of Aging and Age-related Diseases.  This year Drewes also delivered the keynote speech at the Gordon Research Conference on blood-brain barriers in New Hampshire.  Gordon Research Conferences provide an international forum to present frontier research in the biological, chemical and physical sciences and related technologies. 

Dr. Drewes has been a professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota Medical School – Duluth Campus since 1976.  After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1970 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, Madison until 1973 and an assistant scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (Physiology and Neurosurgery) until coming to the University of Minnesota.    In March 2007, the new society will host its first major conference at Stevenson, Washington, “Strategies for Advancing Brain Barriers Translation Research”.  http://www.ibbsoc.org