Introduction: Desired clinical outcome of pharmacotherapy of brain diseases largely depends upon the safe drug delivery into the brain parenchyma. However, due to the robust blockade function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), drug transport into the brain is selectively controlled by the BBB formed by brain capillary endothelial cells and supported by astrocytes and pericytes. Methods: In the c...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a multicellular neurovascular unit that serves as highly impermeable cellular to regulate brain homeostasis, protect the central nervous system, and respond different physiological pathological states. Recently, new drugs have been discovered treat neuropathology. However, because BBB blocks delivery of system (CNS), it still difficult translate treatment CNS di...

Despite recent insights into the pathobiology underlying central nervous system (CNS) malignant gliomas (MGs) and the development of new putative therapeutic compounds to treat these neoplasms, there remains no curative surgical or medical treatment for these tumors. Extensive surgical resection has been shown to prolong survival but is not a total cure because of widespread infiltrative micros...

The protective properties of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are conferred by the intricate architecture of its endothelium coupled with multiple specific transport systems expressed on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs) in the brain's vasculature. When the stringent control of the BBB is disrupted, such as following EC damage, substances that are safe for peripheral tissues but toxic to neur...

The brain is a delicate organ, and evolution built very efficient ways to protect it. Unfortunately, the same mechanisms that protect it against intrusive chemicals can also frustrate therapeutic interventions. Many existing pharmaceuticals are rendered ineffective in the treatment of cerebral diseases due to our inability to effectively deliver and sustain them within the brain. General method...

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are difficult to treat because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents most drugs from entering into the brain. Intranasal (i.n.) administration is a promising approach for drug delivery to the brain, bypassing the BBB; however, its application has been restricted to particularly potent substances and it does not offer localized delivery to specifi...

delivery of exogenous materials such as nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, and drugs into cells is an important strategy in modern cellular and molecular biology. recently, the development of gene carriers for efficient gene transfer into cells has attracted a great attention. furthermore, lack of effective drug delivery is one of the major problems of cancer chemotherapy. many physical methods...

Diseases and injuries of the central nervous system (CNS) including those in the brain, spinal cord and retina are devastating because the CNS has limited intrinsic regenerative capacity and currently available therapies are unable to provide significant functional recovery. Several promising therapies have been identified with the goal of restoring at least some of this lost function and inclu...