Curcumin-Impregnated Drug Delivery Systems May Show Promise in the Treatment of Diseases Secondary to Traumatic Brain Injury: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major social health problem, especially in young adults, and progresses with advanced functional losses. In this study, curcumin was directed to the damaged brain tissue by crossing the blood–brain barrier through drug delivery systems. Thus, the study asked whether it can be effective in the treatment of TBI, which has not had a radical treatment method in clinics yet. Methods A comprehensive and systematic literature search in the PubMed electronic database was performed. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the data obtained. The results were presented as frequency and percentage (%) or amount. Results Two clinical trials investigated curcumin for the treatment of TBI. One study tested curcumin in living mammalian subjects using an amyloLipid nanovesicle. In three studies, curcumin was investigated together with the drug delivery system for the treatment of TBI. Conclusion Drug delivery systems prepared with nanomaterials may have a potential therapeutic effect in treating TBI by increasing neuroprotection because they can penetrate the central nervous system more rapidly.