Mitochondria‐targeted nanoparticles in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a class of heterogeneous diseases that includes Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mitochondria play an important role in oxidative balance and metabolic activity of neurons; therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with NDs and mitochondria are considered a potential treatment target for NDs. Several obstacles, including the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) and cell/mitochondrial membranes, reduce the efficiency of drug entry into the target lesions. Therefore, a variety of neuron mitochondrial targeting strategies has been developed. Among them, nanotechnology‐based treatments show especially promising results. Owing to their adjustable size, appropriate charge, and lipophilic surface, nanoparticles (NPs) are the ideal theranostic system for crossing the BBB and targeting the neuronal mitochondria. In this review, we discussed the role of dysfunctional mitochondria in ND pathogenesis as well as the physiological barriers to various treatment strategies. We also reviewed the use and advantages of various NPs (including organic, inorganic, and biological membrane‐coated NPs) for the treatment and diagnosis of NDs. Finally, we summarized the evidence and possible use for the promising role of NP‐based theranostic systems in the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction‐related NDs.

The Phytochemical Potential for Brain Disease Therapy and the Possible Nanodelivery Solutions for Brain Access

“…In the meantime, other investigations targeting GBMs are primarily performed at the in vitro level ( 31 ). However, the silver lining is that phytochemicals indeed demonstrated neuroprotective capacities while targeting other brain diseases (neurodegenerative diseases), including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) ( 32 ), which could be potentially referenced by future GBM therapy studies.…”

Functionalized Macrophage Exosomes with Panobinostat and PPM1D‐siRNA for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas Therapy

“…[ 24 ] At present, various synthetic nanocarriers have been used for tumor therapy. [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]…”

“…[ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] Some kinds of exosomes can successfully penetrate the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier. [ 33 , 34 ] Exosomes have [ 28 ] the advantages of evading the host immune system and a long half‐life, and therefore they have a potential for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ] Researchers from Oxford University first introduced the concept of using targeted modified exosomes for drug delivery.…”

Glioblastoma Multiforme Selective Nanomedicines for Improved Anti-Cancer Treatments

“…Moreover, targeted NMeds hold a considerable advantage over other traditional delivery methods. A rapidly increasing number of studies are being published searching for novel ligands to be incorporated onto the surface of NMeds to achieve specific delivery to organs [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], cells [ 19 , 20 ], or even intracellular locations [ 21 , 22 , 23 ], with several studies focusing on permeating the blood–brain barrier (BBB) for brain targeting [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. When designing NMeds for GBM targeting, there are several barriers to overcome.…”