The central nervous system (CNS) disorders encompass a wide range of diseases such as neurodegeneration, primary and metastasis brain cancer, stroke, spinal cord injury, encephalitis, depression, addiction, etc. As one of the most prevalent diseases, CNS disorders have become a leading cause of death and disability all over the world. Despite rising number of therapeutic candidates have been developed, the treatment of CNS disorders remains challenging due to the poor efficiency of drug delivery. The substantial obstacle of CNS drug delivery is to pass through the physical barriers (i.e., the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier) that separate the circulating blood from the CNS. These highly restrictive barriers impede most of the therapeutics, especially macromolecules, to reach the target site in the CNS. Nanotechnology has been emerging as a promising strategy for the treatment and diagnosis of CNS disorders. Nanomaterials can be engineered to improve the CNS targeting capability of therapeutic and imaging agents and facilitating their BBB penetration to improve the delivery efficacy. By tuning the physiochemical characteristics, the nanocarriers are able to target specific pathways or be responsive to stimuli at the injury site once getting into the CNS to promote the treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects. In addition, the molecular mechanisms of these nano-therapeutics have also been extensively explored to facilitate the rational design of nanomaterials for CNS delivery. This Research Topic aims to include Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles focusing on the treatment, diagnosis, and molecular mechanisms of CNS disorders based on nanotechnology approaches. Preferred subtopics include but are not limited to: • Novel nanomaterials for CNS delivery • Nanotechnology-based approaches for the treatment and diagnosis of CNS disorders• Molecular mechanisms of nanomaterials for CNS delivery
The central nervous system (CNS) disorders encompass a wide range of diseases such as neurodegeneration, primary and metastasis brain cancer, stroke, spinal cord injury, encephalitis, depression, addiction, etc. As one of the most prevalent diseases, CNS disorders have become a leading cause of death and disability all over the world. Despite rising number of therapeutic candidates have been developed, the treatment of CNS disorders remains challenging due to the poor efficiency of drug delivery. The substantial obstacle of CNS drug delivery is to pass through the physical barriers (i.e., the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier) that separate the circulating blood from the CNS. These highly restrictive barriers impede most of the therapeutics, especially macromolecules, to reach the target site in the CNS. Nanotechnology has been emerging as a promising strategy for the treatment and diagnosis of CNS disorders. Nanomaterials can be engineered to improve the CNS targeting capability of therapeutic and imaging agents and facilitating their BBB penetration to improve the delivery efficacy. By tuning the physiochemical characteristics, the nanocarriers are able to target specific pathways or be responsive to stimuli at the injury site once getting into the CNS to promote the treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects. In addition, the molecular mechanisms of these nano-therapeutics have also been extensively explored to facilitate the rational design of nanomaterials for CNS delivery. This Research Topic aims to include Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles focusing on the treatment, diagnosis, and molecular mechanisms of CNS disorders based on nanotechnology approaches. Preferred subtopics include but are not limited to: • Novel nanomaterials for CNS delivery • Nanotechnology-based approaches for the treatment and diagnosis of CNS disorders• Molecular mechanisms of nanomaterials for CNS delivery