Intranasal delivery of chitosan-siRNA nanoparticle formulation to the brain

Neurodegeneration is characterized by a progressive loss of neuron structure and function. Most neurodegenerative diseases progress slowly over the time. There is currently no cure available for any neurodegenerative disease, and the existing therapeutic interventions only alleviate the symptoms of the disease. The advances in the drug discovery research have come to a halt with a lack of effective means to deliver drugs at the targeted site. In addition, the route of delivering the drugs is equally important as most invasive techniques lead to postoperative complications. This chapter focuses on a non-invasive, intranasal mode of therapeutic delivery using nanoparticles, which is currently being explored. The intranasal route of delivery is a well-established route to deliver drugs via the olfactory and trigeminal neuronal pathways. It is known to be the fastest and most effective way to bypass the blood-brain barrier to reach the central nervous system. The presented chapter highlights the method of intranasal delivery in mice using chitosan-siRNA nanoparticle formulation, under mild anesthesia and the identification of successful siRNA delivery in the brain tissues, through histology and other well-established laboratory protocols.