Therapeutic Potential of Intranasal Delivery of Drugs and Cells for Stroke and Other Neurological Diseases

Abstract

Although numerous studies have suggested the pathological mechanisms underlying stroke-induced brain damage, most clinical trials on the drug treatment of ischemic stroke have been unsuccessful. One of the key obstacles for establishing effective therapies for stroke and other neurological diseases is the blockage of entrance of drugs and therapeutic cells into the brain by the blood-brain barriers (BBB). A number of studies have suggested that intranasal drug delivery is a promising approach for effectively delivering drugs into the brain by bypassing the BBB. There may be at least one intracellular transport-mediated route and two extracellular transport-mediated routes for the nose-to-brain delivery. Recent studies have further suggested that intranasal delivery may also deliver therapeutic cells into the brain more effectively and less invasively compared to traditional approaches. However, multiple key questions regarding intranasal drug and cell delivery for treating neurological disorders remain unanswered. Future studies on intranasal delivery in humans as well as the mechanisms underlying the intranasal delivery may suggest novel biological mechanisms and markedly enhance our capacity of treating stroke and other neurological diseases.