Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (8): 1743-1744.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.332143

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Designing nanocarriers to overcome the limitations in conventional drug administration for Parkinson’s disease

Rafael A. García-Muñoz*, Joseph McConnell, Victoria Morales, Raul Sanz   

  1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain (García-Muñoz RA, Morales V, Sanz R)
    Department of Chemical & Process Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK (McConnell J)
  • Online:2022-08-15 Published:2022-01-21
  • Contact: Rafael A. García-Muñoz, PhD, rafael.garcia@urjc.es.
  • Supported by:
    The financial support of the Spanish government (Grant No. CTQ2014-57858-R and CTQ2017-88642-R projects, to RAGM) was gratefully acknowledged.

Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) have become one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and cause enormous pain and suffering for both patients and their families. Some of the most common NDs include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease, among others (Feng, 2020). PD is a widespread neurodegenerative disease that affects more than 10 million people worldwide (No author listed, 2021). The direct cause of the disease is unknown, but it is characterized by the selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain in the substantia nigra. This leads to the depletion of dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine, DA) in the striatum of patients, in addition to the existence of abnormal α-synuclein in nerve cells and the development of toxic protein aggregates in neurons called Lewy bodies, which causes muscle stiffness, slowness of movements and tremors. It is believed that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may be the cause of PD, but the exact reason for the disease is not yet fully understood.