Surface engineered liposomal delivery of therapeutics across the blood brain barrier: recent advances, challenges and opportunities

Introduction: The delivery of drug payload to treat various brain diseases are met with various hindrances owing to the presence of the homeostasis regulatory gate, Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Although, pathogenesis and progression of the brain diseases alter the permeability of this barrier, effective delivery of agents is not achieved for the attainment of desired treatment outcomes. Liposomes with their salient properties have proven to be exciting options to navigate therapeutics across this barrier. Areas covered: This review tends to establish a correlation between the pathophysiology of disease affected barrier, with liposome-based passive and active delivery approaches for therapeutic agents, permitting their transport across the BBB. The potential of these carriers to present therapeutically effective agents' concentrations to the desired site of action have also been explored. Further, assessment of physicochemical, biopharmaceutical, and biological properties required for efficient translation of such carriers from bench to bedside has been made. Expert opinion: The encapsulation of the therapeutics in these structures enables suitable pro-brain delivery modifications of inherent pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic profiles along with appropriate surface engineering opportunities to deliver the drug cargo to the intended locations in the brain. However, a careful balance between the use of these surface-modified structures and toxicity potential needs to be ascertained for clinical safety and effectiveness.