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Focused Ultrasound Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening for Targeting Brain Structures and Evaluating Chemogenetic Neuromodulation
Published on: December 22, 2020
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Pharmaceutical Targeting of the Brain
István A Krizbai, Ádám Nyúl-Tóth, Hans-Christian Bauer
1Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary. wilhelm.imola@brc.mta.hu.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
|July 29, 2016
Summary
Overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial for central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery. This review explores strategies like bypassing the BBB, opening tight junctions, and using nanocarriers for effective brain drug transport.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Cerebral endothelial cells (CECs) form the blood-brain barrier (BBB), crucial for CNS protection but hindering drug delivery.
- CECs employ tight junctions, efflux pumps, and enzymes as defense mechanisms against xenobiotics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current strategies for overcoming the BBB to achieve effective drug delivery to the CNS.
- To discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and clinical relevance of each strategy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on BBB penetration strategies.
- Analysis of chemical characteristics of nanoparticles for CNS targeting.
- Discussion of drug modification, BBB bypassing, TJ opening, and vector-mediated delivery systems.
Main Results:
- Multiple strategies exist to overcome the BBB, including chemical modification, bypassing routes, reversible TJ opening, and vector-mediated delivery.
- Nanocarriers offer versatile platforms for drug delivery, with various chemical compositions (lipidic, polymeric, inorganic) and targeting mechanisms.
- Inhibition of efflux transporters is another key approach to enhance CNS drug concentrations.
Conclusions:
- Effective CNS drug delivery requires overcoming the BBB's inherent defense mechanisms.
- A combination of strategies, including advanced nanocarrier systems and targeted delivery, holds significant promise for treating neurological disorders.
- Further research into the clinical relevance and optimization of these strategies is essential.
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