AI Insight
This perspective article argues that the primary challenge in treating neurodegenerative diseases has shifted from crossing the blood-brain barrier to achieving cellular precision in drug delivery. The authors contend that therapeutic systems must now focus on targeting specific cell types within particular brain regions, accounting for the dynamic nature of the neurovascular unit. The traditional barrier-crossing problem is no longer considered the main obstacle in brain drug delivery.
Why it matters
This reframing of the central challenge in neurotherapeutics could redirect research efforts and funding toward developing cell-specific and region-specific delivery mechanisms rather than focusing solely on blood-brain barrier penetration. More precise targeting could improve treatment efficacy for neurodegenerative diseases while reducing off-target effects.
Understand the Science
by Lavanya Gupta, Sinem Agilkaya, Kim Susann Keller, Ebru Ercan-Herbst
The central problem when delivering drugs to the brain is no longer crossing the blood–brain barrier, but delivering therapeutics to the right cells, in the right regions to target neurodegeneration, within a dynamically changing neurovascular unit.
Crossing the blood–brain barrier is no longer a problem for delivering therapeutics to the brain. This Perspective argues that the main challenge is now how to deliver therapeutics to the right cells, in the right regions to target neurodegeneration, within a dynamically changing neurovascular unit.
Source: Therapeutic delivery systems need to focus on cellular precision to target neurodegeneration