ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology has become quite popular in the last few decades, showing immense promise in delivery of several pharmaceutical agents to the desired “site of action” in a safer and more effective manner. Extension of the novel approaches have also been employed for brain drug delivery, though the structure and functions of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are the major challenges to surmount. The present book chapter, in this regard, highlights the problems encountered during brain drug delivery, including BBB, especially by the oral route. Attempts have also been made to correlate the size, charge, composition and surface characteristics of the nanocarriers with brain bioavailability. Numerous strategies for circumventing the BBB hurdles, such as chemical modifications, ligand-mediated delivery, prodrug approach, and those involving modulation of ABC transporters, have been suitably discussed. Toxicity, biocompatibility and stability aspects of nanoparticles, in special context to brain delivery, have also been incorporated in this overview.
