title: [Neurological disorders and the blood-brain barrier. Strategies and limitations for drug delivery to the brain].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence in the central nervous system diseases has increased with a growing elderly population. Unfortunately, conventional treatments used to treat the mentioned diseases are frequently ineffective due to the presence of the blood brain barrier.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To illustrate the blood-brain barrier properties that limit drug transport into the brain and the main strategies employed to treat neurologic disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood-brain barrier is mainly composed of a specialized microvascular endothelium and of glial cells. It constitutes a valuable tool to separate the central nervous system from the rest of the body. Nevertheless, it also represents an obstacle to the delivery of therapeutic drugs to the brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To be effective, drugs must reach their target in the brain. On one hand, therapeutic agents could be designed to be able to cross the blood brain barrier. On the other hand, drug delivery systems could be employed to facilitate the therapeutic agents' entry into the central nervous system. In vivo models of neurological diseases, in addition to in vitro models of the blood brain barrier, have been widely employed for the evaluation of drugs utilized to treat central nervous system diseases.
authors.forename: Alazne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suárez-Merino
authors.affiliation: Centro Tecnologico GAIKER, Zamudio, Espana.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goñi-de-Cerio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D020286:Pericytes / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers