title: Highly organized nanostructures for brain drug delivery--new hope or just a fad?
abstract: The blood-brain barrier significantly impedes treatment of central nervous system disorders by preventing drug entry into the brain. Several strategies have been developed to overcome this problem, but progress has been hampered due to a lack of efficacious drug delivery systems (DDS). Now, owing to DDS, therapeutic compounds can be transported to the site of action and accumulate there. This modern approach allows one to decrease the required dose of drug and, therefore, minimize toxicity and side effects. Also, treatment efficiency is increased. Highly organized nanostructures made of biological, polymeric or carbon-based materials are promising carriers in drug delivery to the brain, due to their unique and easily tailorable properties. The drug can be either attached to or entrapped in a carrier. To achieve greater site specificity and selectivity, DDS can be also modified with suitable ligands, providing identification of the molecular site of action. This review illustrates recent advances in using highly-organized structures: dendrimers, fullerenes, liposomes, micelles, nanogels, nanoparticles and nanotubes for this purpose. We also discuss advantages and limitations of each system.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Labuzek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gorki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaroszek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jarzabek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabryel
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, Medykow 18, PL 40-752 Katowice, Poland. labuzek@labuzek.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Okopien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations