Engineered nanomaterials that exploit blood-brain barrier dysfunction for delivery to the brain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical interface regulating brain homeostasis.
• BBB dysfunction is increasingly implicated in the pathology and progression of neurological disorders.
• Understanding BBB dynamics is crucial for developing effective brain-targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review how blood-brain barrier (BBB) changes in disease can be leveraged for therapeutic nanomaterial delivery.
• To explore strategies for enhancing nanomaterial transport across the BBB in neurological conditions.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on BBB structure, function, and disease-associated alterations.
• Analysis of engineered nanomaterial strategies designed to exploit BBB pathophysiology.
• Discussion of physical and biological targeting approaches for BBB penetration.

Main Results:

• BBB disruption in conditions like stroke allows transient nanomaterial entry.
• Neuroinflammation alters BBB receptors, enabling targeted delivery via ligand-modified nanomaterials.
• Immune cell trafficking and altered transport pathways offer additional avenues for brain delivery.

Conclusions:

• Engineered nanomaterials can exploit BBB alterations for targeted therapeutic delivery in neurological diseases.
• Strategies include physical BBB disruption, receptor targeting, and hijacking endogenous transport mechanisms.
• Exploiting BBB dysfunction holds significant promise for advancing brain disease treatment.