Neurotrophic Factors

Asya Ozkizilcik, Roger Williams, Z. Ryan Tian, Dafin F. Muresanu, Aruna Sharma, Hari S. Sharma, Ozkizilcik, Asya, Williams, Roger, Tian, Z. Ryan, Muresanu, Dafin F., Sharma, Aruna, Sharma, Hari S.

Nanoscience provides us with new opportunities to develop nanotechnologies for treating, in particular, central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis. From a methodological point of view, it is challenging to deliver drugs effectively across the blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Our 10-year data and reports from both in vivo and in vitro studies, however, have consistently proved that therapeutic drugs of different types can be generally loaded in/on the nanocarriers for targeted and programmable deliveries to the central nervous system with a high degree of efficacy. This chapter presents a protocol for the synthesis of biocompatible titanate nanofibers as low-cost drug delivery cargos. In addition, a procedure for loading the neuroprotective agent Cerebrolysin onto the nanofibers is briefly described. Finally, experimental observations on the use of nanodrug delivery for superior neuroprotective effects of Cerebrolysin in traumatic brain injury are given as a proof of concept as compared to normal drug alone.