'Comprehensive review of emerging drug targets in traumatic brain injury (TBI): challenges and future scope

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex brain problem that causes significant morbidity and mortality among people of all age groups. The complex pathophysiology, varied symptoms, and inadequate treatment further precipitate the problem. Further, TBI produces several psychiatric problems and other related complications in post-TBI survival patients, which are often treated symptomatically or inadequately. Several approaches, including neuroprotective agents targeting several pathways of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, cytokines, immune system GABA, glutamatergic, microglia, and astrocytes, are being tried by researchers to develop effective treatments or magic bullets to manage the condition effectively. The problem of TBI is therefore treated as a challenge among pharmaceutical scientists or researchers to develop drugs for the effective management of this problem. The goal of the present comprehensive review is to provide an overview of the several pharmacological targets, processes, and cellular pathways that researchers are focusing on, along with an update on their current state.