Biodegradable nanoparticles for the treatment of epilepsy: From current advances to future challenges

Epilepsy is the second most prevalent neurological disease worldwide. It is mainly characterized by an electrical abnormal activity in different brain regions. The massive entrance of Ca²⁺ into neurons is the main neurotoxic process that lead to cell death and finally to neurodegeneration. Although there are a huge number of antiseizure medications, there are many patients who do not respond to the treatments and present refractory epilepsy. In this context, nanomedicine constitutes a promising alternative to enhance the central nervous system bioavailability of antiseizure medications. The encapsulation of different chemical compounds at once in a variety of controlled drug delivery systems gives rise to an enhanced drug effectiveness mainly due to their targeting and penetration into the deepest brain region and the protection of the drug chemical structure. Thus, in this review we will explore the recent advances in the development of drugs associated with polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers as novel tools for the management of epilepsy disorders.