These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Highly organized nanostructures for brain drug delivery--new hope or just a fad?
    Author: Labuzek K, Gorki K, Jaroszek H, Jarzabek K, Gabryel B, Okopien B.
    Journal: CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets; 2013 Dec; 12(8):1271-85. PubMed ID: 24040789.
    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.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]