Polymers as Carriers through the Blood-Brain Barrier

Cationic Polymers as Carriers through the Blood-Brain Barrier 

SANGRAM K. SAMAL, MAMONI DASH, PETER DUBRUEL, KLAUS MULLEN AND JAYAKUMAR RAJADAS  

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the persistent loss of neuronal activity which results in disorders related to the central nervous system (CNS). The various degenerative disorders include Parkinson s, Alzheimer s, brain cancer, etc. These diseases are a big threat to the global population, which has been estimated to be 1.5 billion people suffering from CNS disorders. The existing therapeutic possibilities are still limited. The worldwide market for CNS therapeutics was about 57 billion USD in 2005 and has been forecasted to reach 133 billion USD by the year 2018, primarily driven by increase in disease prevalence rates due to the aging population. 

The CMT and AET systems are mainly responsible for the transport of small molecules, while the RMT systems are responsible for endogenous large molecules.  

The use of cationic polymer-based biomaterials has increased exponentially in various nucleic acid and drug delivery applications due to their easy preparation, tunable properties and excellent delivery efficiency. The polymeric systems with a positive charge and/or synthesized by the 

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