Penetrating the Blood–Brain Barrier by Self-Assembled 3D DNA Nanocages as Drug Delivery Vehicles for Brain Cancer Therapy

Background: Drug delivery to cancerous brain is a challenging task as it is surrounded by an efficient protective barrier. The main hurdles for delivery of bioactive molecules to cancerous brain are blood brain barrier (BBB), the invasive nature of gliomas, drug resistance, and difficult brain interstitium transportation. Therefore, treatment of brain cancer with the available drug regimen is difficult and has shown little improvement in recent years. Methods: We searched about recent advancements in the use of nanomedicine for effective treatment of the brain cancer. We focused on the use of liposomes, nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, and dendrimers to improve brain cancer therapy. Results: Nanomedicines are well suited for the treatment of brain cancer owing to their highly acceptable biological, chemical, and physical properties. Smaller size of nanomedicines also enhances their anticancer potential and penetration into blood brain barrier (BBB). Conclusion: Recently, nanomedicine based approaches have been developed and investigated for effective treatment of brain cancer. Some of these have been translated into clinical practice, in order to attain therapeutic needs of gliomas. Future advancements in nanomedicines will likely produce significant changes in methods and practice of brain cancer therapy.

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Established and Emerging Strategies for Drug Delivery Across the Blood-Brain Barrier in Brain Cancer

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics11050245 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 245 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Alessandro Parodi ◽

Magdalena Rudzińska ◽

Andrei Deviatkin ◽

Surinder Soond ◽

Alexey Baldin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Brain Cancer ◽

Nervous Tissue ◽

Vascular Wall ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Current Status ◽

Working Mechanism ◽

Blood Brain

Brain tumors are characterized by very high mortality and, despite the continuous research on new pharmacological interventions, little therapeutic progress has been made. One of the main obstacles to improve current treatments is represented by the impermeability of the blood vessels residing within nervous tissue as well as of the new vascular net generating from the tumor, commonly referred to as blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB), respectively. In this review, we focused on established and emerging strategies to overcome the blood-brain barrier to increase drug delivery for brain cancer. To date, there are three broad strategies being investigated to cross the brain vascular wall and they are conceived to breach, bypass, and negotiate the access to the nervous tissue. In this paper, we summarized these approaches highlighting their working mechanism and their potential impact on the quality of life of the patients as well as their current status of development.

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Biologically active core/shell nanoparticles self-assembled from cholesterol-terminated PEG–TAT for drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier

Biomaterials ◽

10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.11.014 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 29 (10) ◽

pp. 1509-1517 ◽

Cited By ~ 179

Author(s):

Lihong Liu ◽

Kun Guo ◽

Jia Lu ◽

Subbu S. Venkatraman ◽

Dan Luo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Core Shell ◽

Shell Nanoparticles ◽

Blood Brain ◽

Active Core ◽

Self Assembled ◽

Core Shell Nanoparticles

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Spherical Nucleic Acid Platform-Based Drug Delivery for Brain Cancer and Improved Blood-Brain Barrier Crossing for Alzheimer's and Other Diseases

Metastatic Diseases ◽

10.1201/9781003043249-8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 117-137

Author(s):

Sandeep Arora ◽

Saurabh Gupta ◽

Sukhbir Singh

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Nucleic Acid ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Brain Cancer ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Barrier Crossing ◽

Spherical Nucleic Acid ◽

Blood Brain

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Liposomes: Novel Drug Delivery Approach for Targeting Parkinson’s Disease

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200128145124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (37) ◽

pp. 4721-4737 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bhumika Kumar ◽

Mukesh Pandey ◽

Faheem H. Pottoo ◽

Faizana Fayaz ◽

Anjali Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Drug Delivery ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Side Effects ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Brain Targeting ◽

Neural Cells ◽

Blood Brain ◽

The Brain

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most severe progressive neurodegenerative disorders, having a mortifying effect on the health of millions of people around the globe. The neural cells producing dopamine in the substantia nigra of the brain die out. This leads to symptoms like hypokinesia, rigidity, bradykinesia, and rest tremor. Parkinsonism cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be reduced with the intervention of medicinal drugs, surgical treatments, and physical therapies. Delivering drugs to the brain for treating Parkinson’s disease is very challenging. The blood-brain barrier acts as a highly selective semi-permeable barrier, which refrains the drug from reaching the brain. Conventional drug delivery systems used for Parkinson’s disease do not readily cross the blood barrier and further lead to several side-effects. Recent advancements in drug delivery technologies have facilitated drug delivery to the brain without flooding the bloodstream and by directly targeting the neurons. In the era of Nanotherapeutics, liposomes are an efficient drug delivery option for brain targeting. Liposomes facilitate the passage of drugs across the blood-brain barrier, enhances the efficacy of the drugs, and minimize the side effects related to it. The review aims at providing a broad updated view of the liposomes, which can be used for targeting Parkinson’s disease.

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Brain Drug Delivery: Overcoming the Blood-brain Barrier to Treat Tauopathies

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200316130128 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (13) ◽

pp. 1448-1465 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jozef Hanes ◽

Eva Dobakova ◽

Petra Majerova

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Blood Brain Barrier ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽

Brain Barrier ◽

Neuronal Function ◽

Brain Drug Delivery ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Blood Brain ◽

Traditional Approaches ◽

The Brain

Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the deposition of abnormal tau protein in the brain. The application of potentially effective therapeutics for their successful treatment is hampered by the presence of a naturally occurring brain protection layer called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB represents one of the biggest challenges in the development of therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, where sufficient BBB penetration is inevitable. BBB is a heavily restricting barrier regulating the movement of molecules, ions, and cells between the blood and the CNS to secure proper neuronal function and protect the CNS from dangerous substances and processes. Yet, these natural functions possessed by BBB represent a great hurdle for brain drug delivery. This review is concentrated on summarizing the available methods and approaches for effective therapeutics’ delivery through the BBB to treat neurodegenerative disorders with a focus on tauopathies. It describes the traditional approaches but also new nanotechnology strategies emerging with advanced medical techniques. Their limitations and benefits are discussed.

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