Drug Delivery Strategies In Neurological Disorders Challenges And Opportunities

The development of new CNS drugs is notoriously difficult. Drugs must reach CNS target sites for action and these sites are protected by a number of barriers, the most important being the blood –brain barrier (BBB). Many factors are therefore critical to consider for CNS drug delivery, e.g. active/passive transport across the BBB, intra-brain distribution, and central/systemic pharmacokinetics, to name a few. Neurological disease and trauma conditions add further complexity because CNS barriers, drug distribution and pharmacokinetics are dynamic and often changed by disease/trauma. Knowledge of all these factors and their interplay in different conditions is of utmost importance for proper CNS drug development and disease treatment. In recent years much information has become available for a better understanding of the many factors important for CNS drug delivery and how they interact to affect drug action. This book describes small and large drug delivery to the brain with an emphasis on the physiology of the BBB and the principles and concepts for drug delivery across the BBB and distribution within the brain. It contains methods descriptions for studying drug delivery, routes and approaches of administering drugs into the brain, the influence of disease, and drug industry perspectives. Therewith, it contributes to an in-depth understanding of the interplay between brain (patho)-physiology and drug characteristics. Furthermore, the content is designed to be both cutting-edge and educational, so that the book can be used in high-level training of academic and industry scientists with full references to original publications. ​

Despite substantial advances in developing treatments for the serious illnesses that affect people worldwide, there remains a tremendous unmet need in the treatment of complex neurologic diseases, including neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Chief among the challenges that have hindered the development of therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders is the bloodâ€"brain barrier (BBB). The Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to explore the challenges associated with the BBB that have thus far stymied development of CNS drugs, examine new technologies that could address these challenges, and highlight potential opportunities for moving the field forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Playing an important role in the treatment of neurological disorders, the delivery of drugs to central nervous system (CNS), both administered directly and administered systematically for targeted action, encounters a major challenge in the form of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which limits the access of drugs to the brain substance. In Drug Delivery to the Central Nervous System, experts in the field present essential methods used to deliver therapeutics across the BBB, both in experimental animals and in humans. In addition to those methods, several overviews of innovative methods and their applications are presented in order to give a glimpse of the future of this research. As a volume in the successful Neuromethods series, this book presents its protocols with the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Drug Delivery to the Central Nervous System serves as an ideal guide to scientists continuing to pursue knowledge of the delicate interactions between pharmaceuticals and the brain.

Despite substantial advances in developing treatments for the serious illnesses that affect people worldwide, there remains a tremendous unmet need in the treatment of complex neurologic diseases, including neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Chief among the challenges that have hindered the development of therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders is the bloodâ€"brain barrier (BBB). The Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to explore the challenges associated with the BBB that have thus far stymied development of CNS drugs, examine new technologies that could address these challenges, and highlight potential opportunities for moving the field forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Nanotechnology-Based Targeted Drug Delivery Systems for Brain Tumors addresses brain anatomy and tumors and the progress and challenges in delivering drugs across the blood brain barrier. Several chapters are devoted to the latest technologies and advances in nanotechnology, along with practical solutions on how to design more effective nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery. This valuable resource prepares readers to develop novel drug delivery systems for the treatment of brain tumors that further promote the latest nanomedical technologies. Addresses the progress and challenges inherent in delivering drugs across the blood brain barrier and offers strategies to maximize effectiveness Draws upon the experience and expertise of international scientists working in the fields of drug delivery and nanomedicine Considers the future possibilities of nanotechnology for delivering nanocarriers that better diagnose and treat brain tumors

Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders is the summary of a workshop convened by the IOM Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders to examine opportunities to accelerate early phases of drug development for nervous system drug discovery. Workshop participants discussed challenges in neuroscience research for enabling faster entry of potential treatments into first-in-human trials, explored how new and emerging tools and technologies may improve the efficiency of research, and considered mechanisms to facilitate a more effective and efficient development pipeline. There are several challenges to the current drug development pipeline for nervous system disorders. The fundamental etiology and pathophysiology of many nervous system disorders are unknown and the brain is inaccessible to study, making it difficult to develop accurate models. Patient heterogeneity is high, disease pathology can occur years to decades before becoming clinically apparent, and diagnostic and treatment biomarkers are lacking. In addition, the lack of validated targets, limitations related to the predictive validity of animal models - the extent to which the model predicts clinical efficacy - and regulatory barriers can also impede translation and drug development for nervous system disorders. Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders identifies avenues for moving directly from cellular models to human trials, minimizing the need for animal models to test efficacy, and discusses the potential benefits and risks of such an approach. This report is a timely discussion of opportunities to improve early drug development with a focus toward preclinical trials.

Nanotechnology Methods for Neurological Diseases and Brain Tumors: Drug Delivery across the Blood-Brain Barrier compiles the latest (and future potential) treatment strategies for brain tumors and neurological diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke, those that bypass the blood/brain barrier. The current understanding of brain drug delivery and access is discussed in Chapter One, with the next section focusing on the implementation of the nose-to-brain intranasal route in brain-targeted drug delivery. In addition, nanotechnology-based brain drug delivery is covered in Chapter Three. This avenue offers impressive improvement in the treatment of neurological diseases and brain tumors by using bio-engineered systems that interact with biological systems at a molecular level. In Chapter Four, emphasis is placed on the need for brain-targeted experimental models that mimic disease conditions. Final chapters discuss the very latest advances in targeted treatment strategies for neurological diseases and brain tumors. Comprehensive guide for up-to-date views on the latest advances in targeted treatment strategies for brain tumors and neurological diseases Designed with a multidisciplinary approach that links neurology, neuro-oncology and nanoscience to drug delivery to the brain with an emphasis on the blood-brain-barrier Written in a language that makes it easy to understand nanotechnology drug delivery techniques Presents a unique book that also covers advanced treatment approaches of neurological diseases and brain tumors