Engineered Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers as New Generations of Blood–Brain Barrier Transmitters

Abstract

The blood−brain barrier (BBB) is considered as the most challenging barrier in brain drug delivery. Indeed, there is a definite link between the BBB integrity defects and central nervous systems (CNS) disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers, increasing concerns in the contemporary era because of the inability of most therapeutic approaches. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have already been identified as having several advantages in facilitating the transportation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents across the BBB. This review first explains BBB functions and its challenges in brain drug delivery, followed by a brief description of nanoparticle-based drug delivery for brain diseases. A detailed presentation of recent progressions in optimizing SLNs and NLCs for controlled release drug delivery, gene therapy, targeted drug delivery, and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers is approached. Finally, the problems, challenges, and future perspectives in optimizing these carriers for potential clinical application were described briefly.

Functionalized Nanomaterials Capable of Crossing the Blood–Brain Barrier

“…90 Overall, these studies demonstrate that CDs are a promising NP platform for enhanced BBB permeation through passive diffusion. In addition, lipid-based carriers, such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), can penetrate across the BBB and be translocated in the brain through passive diffusion due to the lipid nature of the BBB 91,92 and the nanometric size (40−200 nm). 93 They are promising lipid-based formulations to treat CNS diseases.…”

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Multitasking Nano-Carriers for Cancer Treatment

“…Managing central nervous system (CNS) disorders is challenging due to the need for drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the brain. The lipid nature of lipid-based nanocarriers such as SLNs can facilitate the transition across the BBB and translocate them into the brain through passive diffusion [ 56 ]. Few studies using SLNs have been proposed for the nose-to-brain delivery of drugs [ 57 ].…”

Tailoring combinatorial lipid nanoparticles for intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, proteins, and drugs

“…For these reasons, LNPs, polymers, and inorganic nanomaterials have been employed as nanocarriers for the delivery of small molecule drugs 23 , 104 , 105 , 106 . These delivery systems have demonstrated to be advantageous in comparison with free drugs, and have been used for the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation diseases, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and many others 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 . Our studies have shown that our combinatorial LNPs could be useful in delivering small molecule anticancer drugs in vitro and antimicrobials in vivo in mouse model.…”