Nanotechnology prospects in brain therapeutics concerning gene-targeting and nose-to-brain administration
Dong-Dong Wu,
Yasmine Ahmed Salah,
Ebenezeri Erasto Ngowi,
Yan-Xia Zhang,
Saadullah Khattak,
Nazeer Hussain Khan,
Yan Wang,
Tao Li,
Zi-Hua Guo,
Yan-Mei Wang,
Xin-Ying Ji
Affiliations
Dong-Dong Wu
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; School of Stomatology, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Yasmine Ahmed Salah
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11517, Egypt
Ebenezeri Erasto Ngowi
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Dar es Salaam University College of Education, Dar es Salaam 2329, Tanzania
Yan-Xia Zhang
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Saadullah Khattak
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Nazeer Hussain Khan
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Yan Wang
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Tao Li
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
Zi-Hua Guo
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Department of Neurology, Kaifeng Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475000, China
Yan-Mei Wang
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Corresponding author
Xin-Ying Ji
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Infection and Biological Safety, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Neurological diseases are one of the most pressing issues in modern times worldwide. It thus possesses explicit attention from researchers and medical health providers to guard public health against such an expanding threat. Various treatment modalities have been developed in a remarkably short time but, unfortunately, have yet to lead to the wished-for efficacy or the sought-after clinical improvement. The main hurdle in delivering therapeutics to the brain has always been the blood-brain barrier which still represents an elusive area with lots of mysteries yet to be solved. Meanwhile, nanotechnology has emerged as an optimistic platform that is potentially holding the answer to many of our questions on how to deliver drugs and treat CNS disorders using novel technologies rather than the unsatisfying conventional old methods. Nanocarriers can be engineered in a way that is capable of delivering a certain therapeutic cargo to a specific target tissue. Adding to this mind-blowing nanotechnology, the revolutionizing gene-altering biologics can have the best of both worlds, and pave the way for the long-awaited cure to many diseases, among those diseases thus far are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), brain tumors (glioma and glioblastoma), Down syndrome, stroke, and even cases with HIV. The review herein collects the studies that tested the mixture of both sciences, nanotechnology, and epigenetics, in the context of brain therapeutics using three main categories of gene-altering molecules (siRNA, miRNA, and CRISPR) with a special focus on the advancements regarding the new favorite, intranasal route of administration.
