A University of Texas at Dallas-led team of researchers has developed a new technique to open the blood-brain barrier temporarily to deliver medication to the brain. The technique uses light and nanoparticles to pry open temporarily these barriers — called tight junctions — to allow medication to reach its target. The technique involves injecting gold nanoparticles, which absorb light, into the bloodstream to target the blood-brain barrier. The study demonstrated that the technique did not damage the blood-brain barrier or the constriction and dilation of blood vessels, called vasomotion. He and his team aim to design and produce magnetic nanoparticles that can be stimulated to disrupt the blood-brain barrier using magnetic fields.