ABSTRACT
Delivery of drugs to a target locale has become the major objective of drug delivery systems (DDSs); this is because in addition to other benefits, it reduces toxicity to the barest minimum. The brain is an essential organ and thus is very well protected. To deliver drugs to the brain, fondly called brain targeting, therapeutic formulations need to possess the capacity to circumvent the barriers, which protect the brain from possible invaders or unwanted molecules. Thus, a clear understanding of the barriers protecting targeted delivery to the brain is of utmost significance for successful targeting to the brain.
In this chapter, we introduce DDSs and targeted drug delivery, mapping out targets drug formulations aiming for in the body. Then, we focus on brain targeting and the strategies, which are employed to deliver drugs to the brain, indicating properties which nanocarriers possess that allow the blood-brain barrier to be transversed. And finally, with the immense research successes of graphene and its derivatives, it is no surprise that its capacity to circumvent the protective barrier has been identified by researchers and highlighted by relevant references made.
