NANOTECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN THERAPEUTICS: ENHANCING BRAIN DRUG DELIVERY VIA NASAL PATHWAYS

The use of nanotechnology in drug delivery and targeting has proven to be extremely valuable. The Nose-to-brain route of drug administration acts as a more encouraging alternative to the traditional routes of medications acting on the Central Nervous System (CNS). This approach overcomes the disadvantages of Blood Brain Barrier (BBB), hepatic first-pass metabolism, and systemic circulation. Thus, it is highly suitable for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and brain cancer. Anatomy and physiology of the nasal cavity, mechanisms of drug transport to the brain, and different nano-formulations that may enhance the delivery and efficacy of CNS targeted drugs are reviewed here. Nanotechnology has brought new drug delivery systems like nanoparticles, niosomes, liposomes, dendrimers, in-situ gels, nanoemulsions, and nanostructured lipid carriers capable of successfully delivering drugs across the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways. It also discusses challenges pertinent to drug delivery across the BBB and the therapeutic application of nose-to-brain delivery, the article also highlighted the nanoformulation development and the ongoing clinical trials along with the marketed formulations related to nose-to-brain delivery.