Application of Nanomaterials in Neurodegenerative Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
Weitong Cui ◽  
Wei Fu ◽  
Yunfeng Lin ◽  
Tianxu Zhang

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease are very harmful brain lesions. Due to the difficulty in obtaining therapeutic drugs, the best treatment for neurodegenerative diseases is often not available. In addition, the bloodbrain barrier can effectively prevent the transfer of cells, particles and macromolecules (such as drugs) in the brain, resulting in the failure of the traditional drug delivery system to provide adequate cellular structure repair and connection modes, which are crucial for the functional recovery of neurodegenerative diseases. Nanomaterials are designed to carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier for targets. Nanotechnology uses engineering materials or equipment to interact with biological systems at the molecular level to induce physiological responses through stimulation, response and target site interactions, while minimizing the side effects, thus revolutionizing the treatment and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Some magnetic nanomaterials play a role as imaging agents or nanoprobes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging to assist in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Although the current research on nanomaterials is not as useful as expected in clinical applications, it achieves a major breakthrough and guides the future development direction of nanotechnology in the application of neurodegenerative diseases. This review briefly discusses the application and advantages of nanomaterials in neurodegenerative diseases. Data for this review were identified by searches of PubMed, and references from relevant articles published in English between 2015 and 2019 using the search terms “nanomaterials”, “neurodegenerative diseases” and “blood-brain barrier”.

Author(s):  
Falaq Naz ◽  
Yasir Hasan Siddique

: Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington disease are have serious concern due to its effect on the quality of life of affected persons. Neurodegenerative diseases have some limitations for both diagnostic as well as at treatment level. Introducing nanotechnology, for the treatment of these diseases may contribute significantly in solving the problem. There are several treatment strategies for the neurodegenerative diseases, but their limitations are the entry into the due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The present review highlights the application of nanotechnology during last 20 years for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1742-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika MS Hartz ◽  
Anne Mahringer ◽  
David S Miller ◽  
Björn Bauer

The ATP-driven efflux transporter, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), handles many therapeutic drugs, including chemotherapeutics, limiting their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. This study provides new insight into rapid, nongenomic regulation of BCRP transport activity at the blood–brain barrier. Using isolated brain capillaries from rats and mice as an ex vivo blood–brain barrier model, we show that BCRP protein is highly expressed in brain capillary membranes and functionally active in intact capillaries. We show that nanomolar concentrations of 17-β-estradiol (E2) rapidly reduced BCRP transport activity in the brain capillaries. This E2-mediated effect occurred within minutes and did not involve transcription, translation, or proteasomal degradation, indicating a nongenomic mechanism. Removing E2 after 1 h fully reversed the loss of BCRP activity. Experiments using agonists and antagonists for estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ and brain capillaries from ERα and ERβ knockout mice demonstrated that E2 could signal through either receptor to reduce BCRP transport function. We speculate that this nongenomic E2-signaling pathway could potentially be used for targeting BCRP at the blood–brain barrier, in brain tumors, and in brain tumor stem cells to improve chemotherapy of the central nervous system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii12-ii12
Author(s):  
Michiharu Yoshida ◽  
Kazuo Maruyama ◽  
Yasutaka Kato ◽  
Rachmilevitch Itay ◽  
Syuji Suzuki ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE In neuro-oncology, it is believed that one major obstacle to effective chemotherapy is the high vascularity and heterogenous permeability of brain tumors. Focused ultrasound (FUS) exposure with the microbubbles has been shown to transiently open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) without depositing thermal energy, and thus may enhance the delivery of various therapeutic drugs into brain tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the BBB opening using 220-kHz transcranial MRI-guided FUS (TcMRgFUS) device and microbubbles in mouse and rat. METHODS The experiments were performed with the 220-kHz ExAblate Neuro TcMRgFUS system (InSightec) and novel lipid bubbles (LB, Teikyo Univ.). Normal mouse and rat brains were irradiated with TcMRgFUS (output power, 5W; duration of irradiation, 30 s; duty cycle 100%) following intravenous injection of 6x107 LB per mouse and rat, respectively. On irradiation, target temperature rise & cavitation signal were monitored by MR thermometry and cavitation receiver, respectively. Immediately after irradiation, BBB opening and complications were detected based on T1, T2, T2*, and Gadolinium (Gd) enhanced T1-weighted images. RESULTS The maximum temperature of brain tissue was under 42 C. There were no risky-cavitation signals causing hemorrhage. The FUS-LB exposure induced successful BBB opening effect in both mouse and rat, confirmed by Gd enhancement in the target region, lateral ventricles, and sulcus. In addition, there were no complications such as edema, coagulation, and hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS Although there remain many conditions to be optimized, BBB opening using a 220-kHz TcMRgFUS device and LB can offer a non-invasive and feasible drug delivery for brain malignancies.


Biochimie ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayssa Hachem ◽  
Mounir Belkouch ◽  
Amanda Lo Van ◽  
Madeleine Picq ◽  
Nathalie Bernoud-Hubac ◽  
...  

eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Lane-Donovan ◽  
Joachim Herz

A new three-dimensional model of the blood-brain barrier can be used to study processes that are involved in neurodegenerative diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 235 ◽  
pp. 34-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Saraiva ◽  
Catarina Praça ◽  
Raquel Ferreira ◽  
Tiago Santos ◽  
Lino Ferreira ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa E. Konofagou

After cancer and heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis (MS), amythrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and neurological diseases take more lives each year than any other illness. Although great progress has been made in recent years toward understanding of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, few effective treatments and no cures are currently available. This is mainly because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits the delivery of the vast majority of systemically-administered drugs available to treat those diseases. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that delivery of therapeutic molecules is safe and effective through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using Focused Ultrasound (FUS) in large animals in vivo. Our preliminary results have shown that the FUS technique can induce BBB opening entirely noninvasively, selectively and be monitored with MRI at sub-millimeter resolution in vivo. The specific aims are therefore to: 1) build a MRcompatible system for FUS targeting and monitoring in the MRI system; 2) test and demonstrate delivery of neurotrophic factors to the hippocampus and putamen of monkeys; 3) test and demonstrate delivery of inhibitors to the visual cortex of monkeys; and 4) assess the safety of the FUS method in monkeys.


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