Nanotechnology in Improving the Treatment of Huntington's Disease: a Systematic Review

Neurotox Res. 2022 Apr;40(2):636-645. doi: 10.1007/s12640-021-00468-1. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is a degenerative genetic condition characterized by cognitive, motor, and psychiatric disturbance. It is caused by a dominantly inherited alteration in the huntingtin gene. Even though symptomatic management is the mainstay of HD treatment, in the thesis, one of the leading causes of the low success of current therapy is their low efficacy for crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The improvement in drug delivery through the BBB may be achieved by some endogenous uptake mechanisms and nanocarrier systems, increasing the bioavailability and slow-release of macromolecular drugs in the central nervous system. In the present study, we present state-of-the-art scientific production on nanotechnology in the treatment of HD symptoms. Here, we discussed the benefits of nanotechnology pharmacological therapy tested in rodent animal models and in vitro specific analyses. We presented why we could apply nanotechnology to improve the transport of drugs through BBB based on already postulated hypotheses about potential pharmacological therapy against some HD symptoms.

Keywords: Blood–brain barrier; Huntington disease; Nanomedicine; Nanoparticles.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood-Brain Barrier
  • Huntington Disease* / drug therapy
  • Nanotechnology