Nanotechnology-based therapeutics: new hope for ischemic cerebral stroke intervention

Abstract

Ischemic cerebral stroke is a leading cause of death and disability globally. At present, thrombolytics, such as recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator, are the only effective treatment for acute stroke. However, usage of thrombolytics has a strict therapeutic window and cannot be applied to a number of patients. Despite the promising effects of some neuroprotectants in preclinical studies, they failed in clinical trials as a result of poor pharmacokinetic properties, particularly with regard to solubility and permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Approaches for delivering these drugs by nanotechnologies may overcome these pharmacokinetic deficits and enhance their neuroprotective effects. However, issues such as potential side effects and biosafety properties currently limit clinical application of these approaches. In this article, we reviewed recent progress of nanotechnology-based interventions for stroke treatment, and in particular, summarized novel materials applied to synthesize nanocarriers, encapsulation with neuroprotectants, and factors impacting nanodrug bioactivities to provide a theoretical basis for the development of anti-stroke drugs.

Keywords

ischemic cerebral stroke / blood-brain barrier (BBB) / nanoparticles / drug delivery / neuroprotection