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Published on: February 27, 2018
Nanotechnology in Improving the Treatment of Huntington's Disease: a Systematic Review
Kesllin Mariane Gomes Valadão1, Bárbara Okabaiasse Luizeti1, Mirian Ueda Yamaguchi2
1Medicine Department, Cesumar University, Maringa, Parana, Brazil.
Insights
Nanotechnology offers a promising approach to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) challenge in Huntington's disease (HD) treatment. This strategy enhances drug delivery for improved therapeutic efficacy in the central nervous system.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder.
- Current HD treatments primarily focus on symptom management.
- Limited drug efficacy is often due to poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of nanotechnology for Huntington's disease treatment.
- To explore nanotechnology's potential in enhancing drug delivery across the BBB.
- To discuss the application of nanocarrier systems for macromolecular drugs in the central nervous system.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on nanotechnology applications in HD.
- Analysis of in vitro studies and rodent animal models.
- Discussion of hypotheses for improving drug transport across the BBB.
Main Results:
- Nanotechnology-based therapies show potential in overcoming BBB limitations.
- Nanocarrier systems can increase drug bioavailability and enable slow-release in the CNS.
- Evidence from preclinical studies suggests benefits for HD symptom management.
Conclusions:
- Nanotechnology presents a viable strategy to improve drug delivery for Huntington's disease.
- Targeted drug delivery via nanocarriers can enhance therapeutic outcomes in the CNS.
- Further research into nanotechnology holds promise for more effective HD treatments.
Abstract:
Huntington's disease (HD) is a degenerative genetic condition characterized by cognitive, motor, and psychiatric disturbance. It is caused by a dominantly inherited alteration in the huntingtin gene. Even though symptomatic management is the mainstay of HD treatment, in the thesis, one of the leading causes of the low success of current therapy is their low efficacy for crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The improvement in drug delivery through the BBB may be achieved by some endogenous uptake mechanisms and nanocarrier systems, increasing the bioavailability and slow-release of macromolecular drugs in the central nervous system. In the present study, we present state-of-the-art scientific production on nanotechnology in the treatment of HD symptoms. Here, we discussed the benefits of nanotechnology pharmacological therapy tested in rodent animal models and in vitro specific analyses. We presented why we could apply nanotechnology to improve the transport of drugs through BBB based on already postulated hypotheses about potential pharmacological therapy against some HD symptoms.
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