Issue 24, 2022

Polymeric nanoparticles for dopamine and levodopa replacement in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

As the world's population ages, the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common neurological ailment, keeps increasing. It is estimated that 1% of the global population over the age of 60 has the disease. The continuous loss of dopaminergic neurons and the concomitant brain depletion of dopamine levels represent the hallmarks of PD. As a result, current PD therapies primarily target dopamine or its precursor (levodopa). Therapeutic approaches that aim to provide an exogenous source of levodopa or dopamine are hindered by their poor bioavailability and the blood–brain barrier. Nevertheless, the fabrication of many polymeric nanoparticles has been exploited to deliver several drugs inside the brain. In addition to a brief introduction of PD and its current therapeutic approaches, this review covers novel polymeric nanoparticulate drug delivery systems exploited lately for dopamine and levodopa replacement in PD.

Graphical abstract: Polymeric nanoparticles for dopamine and levodopa replacement in Parkinson's disease

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
06 Aug. 2022
Accepted
03 Nov. 2022
First published
03 Nov. 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2022,4, 5233-5244

Polymeric nanoparticles for dopamine and levodopa replacement in Parkinson's disease

O. A. A. Alabrahim and H. M. E. Azzazy, Nanoscale Adv., 2022, 4, 5233 DOI: 10.1039/D2NA00524G

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