One of the great challenges in the development of neurological disease treatments is the relative impenetrability of the bloodbrain barrier (BBB). In the current issue, Gooyit et al. (DOI: 10.1021/cn300062w) show that SB-3CT, a potent and selective inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 (also known as gelatinases), that shows efficacy in animal models of neurological diseases, crosses the BBB. The authors developed a sensitive analytical method to measure levels of SB-3CT and

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... ted active metabolites in plasma and the brain. The methodology was based on the use of ultraperformance liquid chromatography using electrospray ionization for quantification of compounds in both plasma and brain homogenate. The studies showed these compounds are rapidly absorbed and distributed in the brain, do not accumulate in the brain, and are not neurotoxic.