title: Nanoparticle-mediated growth factor delivery systems: A new way to treat Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing steadily as the world population ages, thus creating a huge socio-economic burden. Current treatments have only transient effects and concentrate on a single aspect of AD. There is much evidence suggesting that growth factors (GFs) have a great therapeutic potential and can play on all AD hallmarks. Because GFs are prone to denaturation and clearance, a delivery system is required to ensure protection and a sustainable delivery. This review provides information about the latest advances in the development of GF delivery systems (GFDS) targeting the brain in terms of in vitro and in vivo effects in the context of AD and discusses new strategies designed to increase the availability and the specificity of GFs to the brain. This paper also discusses, on a mechanistic level, the different delivery hurdles encountered by the carrier or the GF itself from its injection site up to the brain tissue. The major mass transport phenomena influencing the delivery systems targeting the brain are addressed and insights are given about how mechanistic mathematical frameworks can be developed to use and optimize them.
authors: Canada Research Chair in Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada.
authors: Marc-Antoine
authors: MA
authors: Lauzon
authors: Canada Research Chair in Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Daviau
authors: Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada.
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Marcos
authors: Canada Research Chair in Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada. Electronic address: Nathalie.Faucheux@usherbrooke.ca.
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Faucheux
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Blood–brain barrier; Central nervous system; Chitosan; Mass transport; Mathematical modeling; Nanoparticles