Advances in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders employing nanotechnology

Abstract

Due to limitations posed by the restrictive blood-brain barrier, conventional drug delivery systems do not provide adequate cyto-architecture restoration and connection patterns that are essential for functional recovery in neurodegenerative disorders (NDs). Nanotechnology employs engineered materials or devices that interact with biological systems at a molecular level and could revolutionize the treatment of NDs by stimulating, responding to, and interacting with target sites to induce physiological responses while minimizing side effects. This review provides a concise discussion of the current applications of nano-enabled drug-delivery systems for the treatment of NDs, in particular Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and explores the future applications of nanotechnology in clinical neuroscience to develop innovative therapeutic modalities for the treatment of NDs. © 2009 New York Academy of Sciences.