Nasal Drug Delivery: A Potential Route for Brain Targeting

Present review highlights the potential of nasal mucosa as an administration route for targeting the central nervous system, the brain. Targeted drug delivery seeks to concentrate the medication in the tissues of interest while reducing the relative concentration of medication in the remaining tissues. Thus improving efficacy of the drug and reducing side effects. The nasal mucosa when compared to other mucous membranes is easily accessible and provides a practical entrance portal for small and large molecules. Intranasal administration offers rapid onset of action, no first-pass effect, no gastrointestinal degradation or lung toxicity and non-invasiveness application and also improves bioavailability. It is thought that olfactory route of drug transport, by pass the blood-brain barrier and allows the direct transport of drug from the nose to the brain. This review provides an overview of strategies to improve the drug delivery to brain via nasal mucosa and recent advances in this field. Keyword: Nasal Delivery, Brain targeting, Blood-Brain barrier (BBB), Central nervous system (CNS), Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).