Nose-to-Brain Targeting via Nanoemulsion: Significance and Evidence

Abstract

Background: Non-invasive and patient-friendly nose-to-brain pathway is the best-suited route for brain delivery of therapeutics as it bypasses the blood–brain barrier. The intranasal pathway (olfactory and trigeminal nerves) allows the entry of various bioactive agents, delivers a wide array of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, and circumvents the hepatic first-pass effect, thus targeting neurological diseases in both humans and animals. The olfactory and trigeminal nerves make a bridge between the highly vascularised nasal cavity and brain tissues for the permeation and distribution, thus presenting a direct pathway for the entry of therapeutics into the brain. Materials: This review portrays insight into recent research reports (spanning the last five years) on the nanoemulsions developed for nose-to-brain delivery of actives for the management of a myriad of neurological disorders, namely, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, cerebral ischemia and brain tumours. The information and data are collected and compiled from more than one hundred Scopus- and PubMed-indexed articles. Conclusions: The olfactory and trigeminal pathways facilitate better biodistribution and bypass BBB issues and, thus, pose as a possible alternative route for the delivery of hydrophobic, poor absorption and enzyme degradative therapeutics. Exploring these virtues, intranasal nanoemulsions have proven to be active, non-invasiveand safe brain-targeting cargos for the alleviation of the brain and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Keywords

• non-invasive
• blood–brain barrier
• intranasal
• nanoemulsions
• neurological disorders