Ligands as tools for Brain Targeting

Abstract

Blood brain barrier is one of the most efficient barriers in the body which regulates brain homeostasis and protects the brain from chemical substances via means of tight junctions and thus BBB is considered as the most important barrier in preventing molecules from reaching the brain parenchyma via extensive branches of blood capillary networks. Therefore for decades scientists have tried to bypass this insurmountable barrier and the use of ligands as targeting molecules have provided a sound approach for the delivery. This class of ligands is wide in nature and includes various transporters, receptors, antibodies, surfactants. This article presents various approaches used in design and delivery of nanoparticles to brain mediated by the ligands and shows how these could target the brain and provide drug treatment for diseases such as Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.