Current Drug Delivery - Volume 14, Issue 6, 2017

Background: Dementia cases are increasing as the population ages, leading to increased financial costs. Several neuronal diseases including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke involve cerebrovascular injury or pathophysiology. Cerebrovascular injury is closely tied to blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Many studies have shown a significant association between BBB dysfunction and neurological diseases. Therefore, an u Read More

Background: An insult due to intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is critical to patients. So, breakthroughs in ICH treatment are very important. Objective: Advances in the stem cell treatment of stroke have been remarkable. And stem cell experimentation on ischemic stroke, however, preceded such work on ICH and did not emphasized ICH therapy. Method: We review recent stem cell treatments for ICH, an experiment Read More

Background: Ischemic stroke is the third leading cause of death and the most frequent cause of permanent disability in adults worldwide. Tremendous advances have been made in understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Nevertheless, there is still no effective neuroprotectant available in the clinical work. Recently, osteopontin (OPN), a glycophosphoprotein, has attracted more attention due to i Read More

Background: Despite long-standing and worldwide efforts, hemorrhagic stroke remains a critical clinical syndrome that exerts a heavy toll on affected individuals and their families due to the lack of preventive and therapeutic targets. Objective: To clarify the pathogenesis of hemorrhagic stroke and to identify novel therapeutic targets. Method: Targeting pericytes, the typical mural cells of microvessels, could serve as a wa Read More

High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that is expressed in almost all eukaryotic cells. In the nucleus, it maintains nuclear homeostasis and promotes gene transcription. HMGB1 can be passively released into the extracellular milieu after cell necrosis or actively secreted by activated immune cells. HMGB1 has several receptors such as Toll-like receptor 2, Toll-like receptor 4, and the receptor for advanced Read More

Background: Immune responses including Microglia and macrophage activation and peripheral immune cells infiltration have been founded in the central nervous system (CNS) in recent years. Thus, the traditional view of the adult brain as an immune-privileged organ has been changed. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using Pubmed and Embase electronic databases without any limitations for a re Read More

Background: The sestrin family includes several conserved stress-induced proteins that contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis, DNA stability and cell viability in response to various types of injuries. Objective: It is well established that the protective functions of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) and/or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) are regulated by sestrins. Additionally, it has been revealed that sestrins Read More

Background: The basal ganglia, an important functional integrity of the brain, comprises multiple subcortical nuclei. The area is mainly supplied by the perforating branches of ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA). The unilateral non-traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage, commonly located in the putamen, most often results from hypertension. Method: Simultaneous bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage (SBBGH) is extremely rar Read More

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Understanding of gene expression dynamics could bring new approaches in diagnostics and therapy of stroke. Small noncoding molecules termed “microRNA” represent the most flexible network of gene expression regulators. Method: The aim of this review was to briefly describe the structure and function of microRNA and summarize the current kn Read More

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is considered as a violent disease with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Early brain injury (EBI) and delayed vasospasm are the two aspects of this disease that are becoming research hotspots. Objective: We aim to update the role of oxidative stress in the development of EBI and delayed cerebral vasospasm after SAH. Method: We reviewed early researches, and mainly discuss Read More

Background: Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) is well known as a major complication in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients, and research has long been focused on improving morbidity and mortality. As CVS commonly develops from day 4 to day 14 after SAH onset, SAH patients require therapies with drugs for preventing CVS after surgical treatment for the source of hemorrhage, mostly ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Read More

Objective: Erythropoietin (EPO) for treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has been investigated in many studies. However, the evidence was inconsistent. Thus, a systematic review and metaanalysis were performed to elucidate the role of EPO in treating patients with AIS. Methods: Two electronic databases (PubMed and EMBASE) were used. 30-day NIHSS measures primary outcome while all-cause mortality in the follow Read More

Background: Although sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor activation by FTY720 (fingolimod) has been suggested to improve the prognosis of experimental stroke, the effect of the drug in early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and the precise mechanism of the effect are undetermined. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of systemic administration of FTY720 in EBI after SAH and a Read More

Background: Nasal delivery of 20 (R) -ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) has a short-lived anti-fatigue effect owing to rapid clearance by nasal cilia. Thus, in order to extend the residence time of Rg3 in the nasal cavity, a new drug delivery system is needed. Methods: Chitosan microspheres loaded with Rg3 were prepared using a multi-step emulsification method and were characterized in vitro and in vivo. Results: The microspheres had Read More

Background: Curcumin, a natural hydrophobic polyphenol, has been reported to have diverse pharmacological activities. Previous studies have evaluated its efficacy using both oral and transdermal dosage forms. However, two major obstacles-poor aqueous solubility and low stability-severely limited its pharmaceutical use. Objective: The main objective of this study was to prepare curcumin eye drops that provided su Read More

Background: Capecitabine, an anti cancer drug, has a very short drug elimination half-life (0.49 to 0.89 h). High doses and absence of targeting ability in the colon region may lead to more side effects to the patients with colon cancer. Purpose: To develop and optimize sustained release nanoparticles for effective treatment of colon cancer. Methods: Eudragit S100-PLGA(poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)) nanoparticles were pr Read More