Pitt Shield

Nanotechnological Advances for Nose to Brain Delivery of Therapeutics to Improve the Parkinson Therapy.

Authors: Khatri DK, Preeti K, Tonape S, Bhattacharjee S, Patel M, Shah S, Singh PK, Srivastava S, Gugulothu D, Vora L, Singh SB

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) acts as a highly impermeable barrier, presenting an impediment to the crossing of most classical drugs targeted for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). About the nature of drugs and other potential molecules, they impose unavoidable doserestricted limitations eventually leading to the failure of therapy. However, many advancements in formulation technology and modification of delivery approaches have been successful in delivering the drug to the brain in the therapeutic window. The nose to the brain (N2B) drug delivery employing the nanoformulation, is one such emerging delivery approach, overcoming both classical drug formulation and delivery-associated limitations. This latter approach offers increased bioavailability, greater patient acceptance, lesser metabolic degradation of drugs, circumvention of BBB, ample drug loading along with the controlled release of the drugs. In N2B delivery, the intranasal (IN) route carries therapeutics firstly into the nasal cavity followed by the brain through olfactory and trigeminal nerve connections linked with nasal mucosa. The N2B delivery approach is being explored for delivering other biologicals like neuropeptides and mitochondria. Meanwhile, this N2B delivery system is associated with critical challenges consisting of mucociliary clearance, degradation by enzymes, and drug translocations by efflux mechanisms. These challenges finally culminated in the development of suitable surfacemodified nano-carriers and Focused- Ultrasound-Assisted IN as FUS-IN technique which has expanded the horizons of N2B drug delivery. Hence, nanotechnology, in collaboration with advances in the IN route of drug administration, has a diversified approach for treating PD. The present review discusses the physiology and limitation of IN delivery along with current advances in nanocarrier and technical development assisting N2B drug delivery.

Introduction

Purpose Drug delivery WITHOUT BBB opening
Study Objective To review the physiology and limitations of intranasal (nose-to-brain) drug delivery and summarize current nanocarrier and technical advances, including focused-ultrasound-assisted intranasal (FUS-IN) approaches, for treating Parkinson's disease.
Disease model Parkinson's disease
MRI or image guidance method Not provided
Targeted brain region(s) Not Specified
Target coordinates Not specified
Cargo name and characteristics dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic classes of drugs
Route of administration intranasal

Outcomes and Safety

Summary of Outcomes Nose-to-brain delivery, particularly when combined with surface-modified nanoparticles (≈100–200 nm), in-situ gels, and adjuncts like focused-ultrasound-assisted intranasal (FUS-IN) approaches, enhances brain targeting and bioavailability of anti-Parkinson drugs, but the review does not report specific focused ultrasound parameters or identify any particular FUS settings as successful.
Duration of biological effect not provided
Safety-related matter The paper does not describe specific adverse effects or toxicities; it highlights limitations such as mucociliary clearance, enzymatic degradation, efflux-mediated drug translocation, and short nasal residence time, and states that nanocarriers offer biodegradability and "less interference with the biological environment." It also notes that more studies are required before clinical translation, implying further safety/efficacy evaluation is needed.

Brain Region

Ultrasound Parameters

Ultrasound instrument Not provided
FUS Frequency Not provided
FUS Intensity Not provided
FUS Pressure Not provided
FUS Mode Not provided
Pulse duration Not provided
Duration of a single FUS session Not provided
Focal Characteristics Not provided
Treatment frequency Not specified

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