University of Eastern Finland researchers identify transporter protein

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland identified a transporter protein in 2026 that opens new avenues for improving creatine delivery into the brain and developing therapies targeting the central nervous system. Published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, the study investigated the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) to target creatine derivatives across the blood-brain barrier, which normally blocks many pharmaceutical compounds from entering the brain.

Targeting the Blood-Brain Barrier With SMVT

Delivering drugs to the central nervous system remains one of the greatest challenges in pharmaceutical research because the blood-brain barrier blocks numerous compounds. To overcome this hurdle, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland examined the potential of SMVT, a system that naturally transports several vitamins and essential nutrients throughout the body. Creatine itself plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism, and its impaired transport leads to Creatine Transporter Deficiency Syndrome (CTDS), a rare but severe neurological disorder causing developmental disabilities. The study demonstrated that SMVT can act as an alternative transporter for creatine derivatives, offering a new approach when conventional transport falls short.

The most significant outcome of this study is that SMVT proved to be a suitable transporter for delivering different types of compounds into the brain. The blood-brain barrier is not merely a barrier; it also contains transport systems that allow essential nutrients to reach the brain. Rather than trying to bypass the blood-brain barrier, our goal is to take advantage of its own transport mechanisms to deliver compounds into the brain. Our results suggest that SMVT could offer a promising new opportunity for this purpose.

Kristiina Huttunen, Study Lead and Associate Professor, University of Eastern Finland

Implications for Neurological Therapies

The implications of these findings extend well beyond creatine supplementation. According to the researchers, exploiting SMVT may also enable more efficient delivery of other therapeutic compounds into the central nervous system. This capability could ultimately facilitate the development of more precisely targeted treatments for various neurological disorders.

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