Peptide Prodrugs for the Treatment of CNS Disorders: A Perspective for New Drugs

Title:Peptide Prodrugs for the Treatment of CNS Disorders: A Perspective for New Drugs

Volume: 21 Issue: 23

Author(s): Chung Man Chin, Diego Eidy Chiba, Marcella Gabrielle Mendes Machado, Ednir de Oliveira Vizioli and Jean Leandro dos Santos

Affiliation:

Keywords: Blood–brain barrier, Central nervous system, hydrophilic, physicochemical properties, peripheral metabolism, peptides.

Abstract: The treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is a major challenge. The presence of the barrier intended to protect the brain from unwanted molecules also impairs the efficacy of CNS-targeted drugs. The discovery of drug targets for CNS diseases opens a door for the selective treatment of these diseases. However, the physicochemical properties of drugs, including their hydrophilic properties and their peripheral metabolism, as well as the blood–brain barrier, can adversely affect the therapeutic potential of CNS-targeted drugs. Although peptides are often metabolized by enzymes, they are of particular interest for the treatment of CNS diseases or as carriers to deliver drugs to the brain. In this review, we discuss the use of peptides as potential prodrugs for the treatment of CNS diseases.

Cite this article as:

Chin Man Chung, Chiba Eidy Diego, Machado Gabrielle Mendes Marcella, Vizioli de Oliveira Ednir and Santos Leandro dos Jean, Peptide Prodrugs for the Treatment of CNS Disorders: A Perspective for New Drugs, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2014; 21 (23) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867321666140217125526