Strategies for drug delivery to the central nervous system by systemic route.
BACKGROUND
Delivery of a drug into the central nervous system (CNS) is considered difficult. Most of the drugs discovered over the past decade are biological, which are high in molecular weight and polar in nature. The delivery of such drugs across the blood-brain barrier presents problems.


OBJECTIVE
This review discusses some of the options available to reach the CNS by systemic route. The focus is mainly on the recent developments in systemic delivery of a drug to the CNS.


METHODS
Databases such as Scopus, Google scholar, Science Direct, SciFinder and online journals were referred for preparing this article including 89 references.


RESULTS
There are at least nine strategies that could be adopted to achieve the required drug concentration in the CNS.


CONCLUSIONS
The recent developments in drug delivery are very promising to deliver biologicals into the CNS.
Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University , Manipal, Karnataka , India.
Narayanan
N
Kasinathan
Hitesh V
HV
Jagani
Angel Treasa
AT
Alex
Subrahmanyam M
SM
Volety
J Venkata
JV
Rao
D001682:Biological Availability; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine
D004337:Drug Carriers; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
Blood–brain barrier; Trojan; central nervous system; chimeric proteins; peptidomimetics