Abstract
This review aims to summarize present approaches employed in delivering drugs to the central nervous system. Changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) function have been reported in several neurological disorders. A brief description of the blood brain barrier and the main pathologies related to this barrier disfunction are described. Treatments for these disorders are based on several available strategies for delivering drugs into the brain, through circumvention of the BBB, as disruption of the BBB, prodrugs, molecular Trojan horses, among others. Particular attention will be placed on nanocarriers and more specifically on polymeric nanoparticles, which are presented as the most promising strategy for CNS delivery, helping drugs to be targeted more efficiently to the brain. This also allows attacking previously untreatable disorders such as brain tumors and other neurodegenerative diseases. New strategies and technologies commercialized by different pharmaceutical companies are also included.
Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, brain targeting, CNS delivery, drug delivery, nanocarriers, nanostructures, polymeric nanoparticles, neurodegerative diseases, brain tumors, BBB disfunction
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Nanostructures for Drug Delivery to the Brain
Volume: 18 Issue: 34
Author(s): L. Martin-Banderas, M. A. Holgado, J. L. Venero, J. Alvarez-Fuentes and M. Fernandez-Arevalo
Affiliation:
Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, brain targeting, CNS delivery, drug delivery, nanocarriers, nanostructures, polymeric nanoparticles, neurodegerative diseases, brain tumors, BBB disfunction
Abstract: This review aims to summarize present approaches employed in delivering drugs to the central nervous system. Changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) function have been reported in several neurological disorders. A brief description of the blood brain barrier and the main pathologies related to this barrier disfunction are described. Treatments for these disorders are based on several available strategies for delivering drugs into the brain, through circumvention of the BBB, as disruption of the BBB, prodrugs, molecular Trojan horses, among others. Particular attention will be placed on nanocarriers and more specifically on polymeric nanoparticles, which are presented as the most promising strategy for CNS delivery, helping drugs to be targeted more efficiently to the brain. This also allows attacking previously untreatable disorders such as brain tumors and other neurodegenerative diseases. New strategies and technologies commercialized by different pharmaceutical companies are also included.
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Cite this article as:
Martin-Banderas L., A. Holgado M., L. Venero J., Alvarez-Fuentes J. and Fernandez-Arevalo M., Nanostructures for Drug Delivery to the Brain, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2011; 18 (34) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986711798184262
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986711798184262 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
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