The blood–brain barrier: Structure, regulation and drug delivery

🤖 Plain-English Summary

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a natural protective membrane that prevents central nervous system (CNS) from toxins and pathogens in blood. Versatile drug delivery systems ranging from organic, inorganic, and biologics-derived materials with their synthesis procedures and unique physio-chemical properties are summarized and analyzed.

🔑 Key Findings

• However, the presence of BBB complicates the pharmacotherapy for CNS disorders as the most chemical drugs and biopharmaceuticals have been impeded to enter the brain.
• Insufficient drug delivery into the brain leads to low therapeutic efficacy as well as aggravated side effects due to the accumulation in other organs and tissues.
• Recent breakthrough in materials science and nanotechnology provides a library of advanced materials with customized structure and property serving as a powerful toolkit for targeted drug delivery.

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