Pharmacoresistant epilepsy and nanotechnology

Front Biosci (Elite Ed). 2014 Jun 1;6(2):329-40. doi: 10.2741/709.

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders. Furthermore, it is associated to diminished health-related quality of life and is thus considered a major public health problem. In spite of the large number of available and ongoing development of several new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), a high percentage of patients with epilepsy (35-40%) are resistant to pharmacotherapy. A hypothesis to explain pharmacoresistance in epilepsy suggests that overexpression of multidrug resistance proteins, such as P-glycoprotein, on the endothelium of the blood brain barrier represents a challenge for effective AED delivery and concentration levels in the brain. Proven therapeutic strategies to control pharmacoresistant epilepsy include epilepsy surgery and neuromodulation. Unfortunately, not all patients are candidates for these therapies. Nanotechnology represents an attractive strategy to overcome the limited brain access of AEDs in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. This manuscript presents a review of evidences supporting this idea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Drug Carriers / therapeutic use*
  • Epilepsy / drug therapy*
  • Epilepsy / metabolism
  • Epilepsy / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological*
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nanoparticles / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins