title: Delivery of peptide and protein drugs over the blood-brain barrier.
abstract: Peptide and protein (P/P) drugs have been identified as showing great promises for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. A major challenge in this regard, however, is the delivery of P/P drugs over the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Intense research over the last 25 years has enabled a better understanding of the cellular and molecular transport mechanisms at the BBB, and several strategies for enhanced P/P drug delivery over the BBB have been developed and tested in preclinical and clinical-experimental research. Among them, technology-based approaches (comprising functionalized nanocarriers and liposomes) and pharmacological strategies (such as the use of carrier systems and chimeric peptide technology) appear to be the most promising ones. This review combines a comprehensive overview on the current understanding of the transport mechanisms at the BBB with promising selected strategies published so far that can be applied to facilitate enhanced P/P drug delivery over the BBB.
authors.affiliation: European Graduate School of Neuroscience(EURON, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ivona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brasnjevic
authors.forename: Harry W M
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Steinbusch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinez-Martinez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins