Recent advances in nanomedicines for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Abstract

Ischemic stroke is a cerebrovascular disease normally caused by interrupted blood supply to the brain. Ischemia would initiate the cascade reaction consisted of multiple biochemical events in the damaged areas of the brain, where the ischemic cascade eventually leads to cell death and brain infarction. Extensive researches focusing on different stages of the cascade reaction have been conducted with the aim of curing ischemic stroke. However, traditional treatment methods based on antithrombotic therapy and neuroprotective therapy are greatly limited for their poor safety and treatment efficacy. Nanomedicine provides new possibilities for treating stroke as they could improve the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs in vivo , achieve effective drug accumulation at the target site, enhance the therapeutic effect and meanwhile reduce the side effect. In this review, we comprehensively describe the pathophysiology of stroke, traditional treatment strategies and emerging nanomedicines, summarize the barriers and methods for transporting nanomedicine to the lesions, and illustrate the latest progress of nanomedicine in treating ischemic stroke, with a view to providing a new feasible path for the treatment of cerebral ischemia.

Therapeutic Potential and Main Methods of Obtaining Selenium Nanoparticles

“…Selenium compounds not only suppress the formation of ROS during ischemia/reoxygenation and hypoxia, but also activate mitochondrial biogenesis and, as a consequence, the level of intracellular ATP and Ca 2+ homeostasis and promote cell survival in the penumbra zone [ 94 , 95 ]. SeNP are able to easily penetrate the blood–brain barrier, while they have powerful antioxidant properties against a background of reduced cytotoxicity compared to selenium compounds, which can help protect brain cells from ischemic damage [ 96 , 97 ]. Of particular interest is the enhancement of BDNF expression in brain cells after exposure to SeNP, which contributes to the suppression of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation, as well as a decrease in [Ca 2+ ]i under the toxic effect of glutamate [ 98 , 99 , 100 ].…”

The Mechanisms Underlying the Protective Action of Selenium Nanoparticles against Ischemia/Reoxygenation Are Mediated by the Activation of the Ca2+ Signaling System of Astrocytes and Reactive Astrogliosis

“…In this sense, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are of interest as an effective neuroprotector capable of easily crossing the blood-brain barrier. In addition, SeNPs have powerful antioxidant properties against a background of reduced cytotoxicity compared to other Se-containing compounds [ 9 , 10 ]. There are studies demonstrating the neuroprotective properties of SeNPs in Alzheimer’s disease, which inhibit the aggregation of beta-amyloid and its toxicity [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Potential nanotherapeutic strategies for perioperative stroke

“…56,57 Nanotechnology has developed rapidly in the last few decades and shows potential in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. [58][59][60] The properties of nanomaterials differ…”