Current non-invasive strategies for brain drug delivery: overcoming blood–brain barrier transport

Background The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex and dynamic structure that serves as a gatekeeper, restricting the migrations of most compounds and molecules from blood into the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB plays a crucial role in maintaining CNS physiological function and brain homeostasis. It can protect the CNS from the entrance of toxic and infectious agents, however, it also restricts the drug permeation into brain to play a therapeutic role. The BBB has been the biggest limiting hurdle to medications entering the brain excluding from the brain about 100% of large-molecule and more than 98% of all small-molecule neurotherapeutics. As a result, it is of inability for drug molecule to reach requisite concentrations within the brain. Objective With the aim of enhancing drug permeability and efficacy, a variety of strategies have been developed: invasive approaches, such as intraarterial delivery, intrathecal delivery, or administrating directly the drug intraventricularly and intracerebrally; non-invasive approaches that take advantage of innate BBB functions, using prodrugs, focused ultrasound, intranasal administration or nanotechnology. Conclusions Here we mainly review recent developments and challenges related to non-invasive BBB-crossing techniques, whose benefits include higher efficacy, easier application, less treatment burden, better patient acceptability, and adherence. Additionally, we also analyze the potential of non-invasive methods in the treatment of CNS disorders and render them as a most suitable platform for the management of neurological diseases.