The Role of Nanomaterials in Stroke Treatment: Targeting Oxidative Stress

Abstract

Stroke has a high rate of morbidity and disability, which seriously endangers human health. In stroke, oxidative stress leads to further damage to the brain tissue. Therefore, treatment for oxidative stress is urgently needed. However, antioxidative drugs have demonstrated obvious protective effects in preclinical studies, but the clinical studies have not seen breakthroughs. Nanomaterials, with their characteristically small size, can be used to deliver drugs and have demonstrated excellent performance in treating various diseases. Additionally, some nanomaterials have shown potential in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stroke according to the nature of nanomaterials. The drugs’ delivery ability of nanomaterials has great significance for the clinical translation and application of antioxidants. It increases drug blood concentration and half-life and targets the ischemic brain to protect cells from oxidative stress-induced death. This review summarizes the characteristics and progress of nanomaterials in the application of antioxidant therapy in stroke, including ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and neural regeneration. We also discuss the prospect of nanomaterials for the treatment of oxidative stress in stroke and the challenges in their application, such as the toxicity and the off-target effects of nanomaterials.

Oxidative Stress in the Brain: Basic Concepts and Treatment Strategies in Stroke

“…Another possible solution could be the use of nanomaterials, which can deliver drugs, and some even have shown potential in scavenging ROS due to their natures [ 86 ]. Generally speaking, nanomaterials are usually 1–500 nm in diameter and can easily be taken up by the cell [ 87 ].…”

“…Generally speaking, nanomaterials are usually 1–500 nm in diameter and can easily be taken up by the cell [ 87 ]. Metallic and metal-oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanoparticles, liposome nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles have all been used for antioxidant therapy in stroke [ 86 ]. In ischemic stroke, nanoparticles have been used to scavenge ROS, as carriers to transport free radicals, or as carriers to transport antioxidant enzymes, drugs or genes [ 86 ].…”

“…Metallic and metal-oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanoparticles, liposome nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles have all been used for antioxidant therapy in stroke [ 86 ]. In ischemic stroke, nanoparticles have been used to scavenge ROS, as carriers to transport free radicals, or as carriers to transport antioxidant enzymes, drugs or genes [ 86 ]. Nanoparticle-facilitated delivery of antioxidants was also used in the experimental treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats [ 88 , 89 ].…”

From blood to brain: blood cell-based biomimetic drug delivery systems

“…During an ischemic stroke cascade, insufficient endogenous antioxidants fail to detoxify excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) entities, which would react with complex materials, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, in blood vessels of the brain (Chouchani et al, 2014). This process subsequently recruit abnormal inflammatory cells and then lead to cell death and consequently brain injury and infarction (Song et al, 2021).…”

“…The interaction between neutrophils and endothelial cells in brain blood vessels mediated cellular responses such as overproduction of radical oxygen species plays important role in ischemia/reperfusion damage (Becher et al., 2017 ). Resolvin D2 (RvD2), derived from docosahexaenoic acid, can induce the generation of nitric oxide to decrease leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions and reduce cytokine production (Spite et al., 2009 ). Dong et al.…”