Perspectives of nanotechnologies in clinical neurology

Abstract

Nanotechnologies is a new and rapidly developing field of science and engineering related to targeted manipulation of objects sized within the nano-diapason (1091012 m); this means principally new characteristics and qualities of the respective systems to be constructed. In the paper, problems of nanotechnology applications in clinical neurology are considered, namely, possibilities and prospects of the use, in diagnostic and medicinal purposes, of biochips, nanosensors, bioreactors, immunonanoparticles, biodegradable polymers, convectionenhanced drug delivery, etc. in various diseases of the nervous system. Special attention is paid to the development of pharmacotherapeutic applications, including drug transport systems and targeted nanotherapy, which outlines modern nanomedicine. Different medicinal nanoformulations are discussed, including polymeric nanoparticles, fullerenes, dendrimers, liposomes, nanotubes, etc. The authors experience in the study of stable glycosphyngolipid nanotubes and nanoliposomes as the drug delivery system is presented. For this purpose, the model of skin vasomotor reaction stimulation by cutaneous nitroglycerin application was used: the effect of nitroglycerin was shown to rise 1.5 times with nanotubes as carriers, and 2.5 times with nanoliposomes.

Keywords

• nanotechnology
• nanomedicine
• neurology
• drug delivery
• nanoparticles
• nanotubes
• liposomes
• fullerene
• dendrimer