✍️ Author: Dr Eleni Christoforidou
🕒 Approximate reading time: 4 minutes
Effective treatment of neurological disorders often requires the delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. However, this is a complex task due to the protective barriers in the nervous system, particularly the blood-brain barrier. This blog post examines innovative drug delivery systems designed to overcome these barriers and improve the effectiveness of treatments for neurological disorders.
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective semipermeable border of endothelial cells that prevents the majority of substances in the circulating blood from non-selectively crossing into the brain. While this barrier plays a crucial role in protecting the brain, it also poses a significant challenge for the delivery of therapeutics.
Liposomes: These are spherical vesicles composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers. They have been used to encapsulate drugs, thereby protecting them from degradation and enhancing their delivery across the BBB.
Nanoparticles: These tiny particles, often made from polymers, lipids, or proteins, can be engineered to carry drugs across the BBB. They can be designed to respond to specific stimuli, like pH or temperature, to release their therapeutic cargo.
Neurotrophic factors: These are proteins that promote the survival of neurons. Researchers are developing ways to deliver neurotrophic factors directly to affected areas of the brain to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
Intranasal delivery: This non-invasive route allows drugs to reach the brain via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves. It bypasses the BBB and reduces systemic side effects.
Focused ultrasound: This technique uses ultrasound waves to transiently open the BBB, allowing drugs to pass into the brain. It's usually combined with microbubbles - tiny gas-filled bubbles that enhance the delivery of drugs.
Gene therapy: This approach involves using viral vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into cells. It's being investigated as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
With technological advancements and deeper understanding of the brain and neurological disorders, the future of drug delivery looks promising. Researchers are actively working on developing more targeted, efficient, and less invasive drug delivery systems. These advances could revolutionise the treatment of neurological disorders, improving the lives of millions of patients worldwide.
Delivering drugs to the brain is a challenging but essential aspect of treating neurological disorders. Although there are numerous hurdles to overcome, ongoing research into innovative drug delivery systems is poised to transform the landscape of neurology and offer hope to patients.