Nanoparticle-Based Gene Therapy Intervention for Stroke Treatment: A Systematic Review

Ischemic stroke is one of the main causes of mortality in advanced societies. Although gene therapy can be helpful, delivering gene therapy agents is challenging. Nanotechnology can enhance the potential therapeutic effects and the efficiency of gene therapy for some brain disorders. The present systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA protocol to investigate the possible therapeutic effects of nanoparticles as the carriers of gene therapy agents in stroke therapy. Relevant keywords were used to search from ISI Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus for relevant publications up to April 24, 2020. The selected articles were assessed using certain scores on the quality of the articles. Data extraction and quality judgment were carried out by the present reviewers. Of 130 articles retrieved, seven met the inclusion criteria and were, therefore, included in the final analysis. The outcome of the reviewing process revealed that depending on the selection of the target genes, stroke gene therapies have acceptable therapeutic consequences. The nanoparticles could be used to carry the gene therapy agents that are efficient targeting in stroke treatment. Also, it appears that the use of nanoparticles such as PEGylation and PAMAM, can be a valuable option to intensify the efficiency and specific targeting of stroke location. In conclusion, due to the inability of brain regeneration and the importance of genes in stroke-related complications, gene therapy seems to be a suitable treatment strategy. The use of suitable nanoparticles for transportation ensures the efficiency and usefulness of this method.