Strategies for drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier

Abstract

Strategies for drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier include neurosurgical-based, pharmacologic-based, and physiologic-based approaches. Neurosurgical-based techniques involve the implantation of intraventricular catheters that allow for chronic drug delivery. However, this approach is limited by the much faster rates of bulk flow of CSF through the ventricular compartments as compared to the slow rates of drug diffusion down into brain parenchyma. Pharmacologic-based strategies, e.g., synthesis of lipid soluble pro-drugs, or physiologic-based strategies, e.g., the development of chimeric nutrients or chimeric peptides allow for drug delivery through the brain capillary wall, i.e., the blood-brain barrier, and allow for drug delivery directly into brain parenchyma.