Brain‐targeting drug delivery systems

Abstract

Brain diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, acute ischemic stroke and brain tumors, have become a major health problem and a huge burden on society with high morbidity and mortality. However, most of the current therapeutic drugs can only relieve the symptoms of brain diseases, and it is difficult to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects fundamentally. Extensive studies have shown that the therapeutic effects of brain diseases are mainly affected by two factors: the conservation of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the complexity of the brain micro‐environment. Brain‐targeting drug delivery systems provide new possibilities for overcoming these barriers with versatility. In this review, it provides an overview of BBB alteration and discusses targeting delivery strategies for brain diseases therapy. Furthermore, delivery systems which are designed to modulate the brain micro‐environment with synergistic effects were also highlighted. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies

Progress in phase III clinical trials of molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy for glioblastoma

“…This phenomenon is mainly due to the following issues, including the presence of the BBB, the heterogeneity of tumor tissues, and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. Accordingly, the following attempts may be the key to overcoming these issues: (1) It is highly necessary to develop more effective drug delivery systems, research on which has progressed tremendously and has been detailed in the excellent reviews [ 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 ]; (2) for the complex heterogeneity of tumors, more systematic molecular pathological and mechanistic studies are effective. For example, as WHO CNS5 is published, Gene and Protein Nomenclature is formally recommended and verified to be more clinically effective and beneficial.…”

Targeting the central nervous system: From synthetic nanoparticles to extracellular vesicles—Focus on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

“…These traditional non-invasive strategies to overcome the barrier include the injection of hypertonic agents such as mannitol, the administration of vasoactive compounds like bradykinin or focused ultrasound. The mechanical effect of sound waves on brain vasculature produce the biological effect of transient BBB opening (Liu & Jiang, 2022). For instance, magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has been widely used for drugs, gene and stem cell delivery in CNS (Stavarache et al, 2021).…”

Targeting the pathogenesis and boosting the therapeutic efficacy of Parkinson's disease by advanced nanoparticles

“…As drug carriers, they can prolong the half‐life of drugs and improve their utilization to achieve effective targeted delivery and reduce their side effects on normal tissues 8,9 . In addition, functionally engineered nanoparticles allow drugs crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) to enter into the brain effectively 10,11 . Over the past 30 years, several nanomaterials have been approved by Food and Drug Administration, including liposomes, polymers/micelles, iron oxides, mesoporous silica, and gold NPs 12 .…”

“…8,9 In addition, functionally engineered nanoparticles allow drugs crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to enter into the brain effectively. 10,11 Over the past 30 years, several nanomaterials have been approved by Food and Drug Administration, including liposomes, polymers/ micelles, iron oxides, mesoporous silica, and gold NPs. 12 The flexibility in the design and modification of nanomaterials makes them very attractive in the treatment of various diseases in the complex biological microenvironment, such as cancer, 13 cardiovascular diseases, 14 and neurodegenerative diseases.…”