Review Paper:
Containers on
the micro- and nanoscale for neurodegenerative diseases: nose-to-brain drug transportation
Dubey Anubhav, Shahi Sanyogita, Singh Shirish Kumar, Kumari Mamta and Dwivedi Sumeet
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(8); 264-272;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/208rjbt2640272; (2025)
Abstract
The ever-increasing elderly population and the prevalence of harmful lifestyle choices
have combined to make neurodegenerative illnesses as a major concern in global health.
Numerous studies have investigated the best ways to treat the most prevalent neurological
illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and migraine. But the blood-brain barrier
means that conventional treatments for neurological diseases are often unsuccessful.
A number of therapeutic medications face a formidable challenge when trying to reach
the brain across the blood-brain barrier. One new approach to drug administration
is the nasal route, which bypasses the digestive system and goes straight to the
brain via the olfactory and trigeminal neurones. Fast absorption via the nasal route
allows for immediate therapeutic impact by avoiding first-pass metabolism. Peptides,
proteins and polar medicines with modest molecular weights may enter the nasal passage
with relative ease. These medications need rapid onset of action otherwise they
are difficult to administer by other means.
To increase the likelihood of drug absorption, MSs are mostly used for nose-to-brain
delivery. This is because MSs prolong the time the medication interacts with the
mucosal barrier. When microspheres touch the nasal mucosa, they enlarge and then
solidify into a gel, making it impossible to expel them from the nose. As a novel
approach to treating neurodegenerative illnesses, this study offers a comprehensive
analysis of MS in nose-to-brain drug delivery.
