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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The central nervous system (CNS) is vulnerable to pathologic processes that lead to the
development of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s
diseases, Multiple sclerosis or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These are chronic and progressive
pathologies characterized by the loss of neurons and the formation of misfolded proteins.
Additionally, neurodegenerative diseases are accompanied by a structural and functional
dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although serving as a protection for CNS, the
existence of physiological barriers, especially the BBB, limits the access of several therapeutic
agents to the brain, constituting a major hindrance in neurotherapeutics advancement. In this
regard, nanotechnology-based approaches have arisen as a promising strategy to not only
improve drug targeting to the brain, but also to increase bioavailability. Lipid nanocarriers such
as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), microemulsions
and nanoemulsions, have already proven their potential for enhancing brain transport, crossing more easily into the CNS and allowing the administration of medicines that could benefit the
treatment of neurological pathologies.
Given the socioeconomic impact of such conditions and the advent of nanotechnology that
inevitably leads to more effective and superior therapeutics for their management, it is imperative
to constantly update on the current knowledge of these topics. Herein, we provide insight on the
BBB and the pathophysiology of the main neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, this review
seeks to highlight the several approaches that can be used to improve the delivery of therapeutic
agents to the CNS, while also offering an extensive overview of the latest efforts regarding the
use of lipid-based nanocarriers in the management of neurodegenerative diseases.
Description
Keywords
Neurodegenerative diseases Neurodegeneration Neurodegeneration Blood-brain barrier (BBB) Brain drug delivery Nanoparticles Lipid nanocarriers
Citation
Publisher
Elsevier