**7. Future prospects for nanopharmaceuticals delivery**

Another targeted approach to the brain for delivering drugs is through the ocular route. The ocular route has so many advantages like reduced peripheral toxicity and

**131**

provided the original work is properly cited.

*Nanopharmaceuticals: A Boon to the Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery*

direct delivery of therapeutic moiety in the target site [76]. Ocular and intranasal drug delivery for the brain was compared by a group, in which nerve growth factor (NGF) was used for treating Alzheimer's disease. However, it was found out that intranasal drug administration was more effective and potent for brain disorders and ocular route did not perform well. However, many scientists are working for making the ocular route a success because of it being the compliant and non-invasive route [77]. There has been a huge room for the administration of nanocarrier through ocular route to the brain. Nanocarrier can facilitate drug delivery to the brain because of their size, site-retention properties and enhanced adhesion to the lacrimal fluid. The route can be exploited for the delivery of drugs and genes to CNS by avoiding

Brain-targeted drug delivery is a difficult matter due to anatomic and pathophysiological brain barriers. The current advances in nanotechnology provide a solution in the form of nanopharmaceuticals, drug containing nanocarriers, to cross the CNS barriers and to target the brain tissue in various disorders.

Nanopharmaceuticals' mode of administration into the body is an important aspect, which ultimately effects drug concentration in the brain and drug therapeutic effect. Current chapter highlighted the routes of administration through which nanopharmaceuticals can be delivered to reach the brain. Every route has pros and cons, nanopharmaceuticals overcome the route associated limitations in the delivery of drug to the brain due to their peculiar physicochemical properties and surface modulation. Translation this research area into the clinic still require investigations, as safety is the foremost concern and distribution to other body organs must be eradicated. Moreover, there is a need to control the drug delivery rate when

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83040*

systemic exposure via nanopharmaceuticals [78].

nanopharmaceuticals reach the brain for safer action.

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

\*Address all correspondence to: h.ali@qau.edu.pk

**8. Conclusion**

**Conflict of interest**

**Author details**

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

Mahira Zeeshan, Mahwash Mukhtar, Qurat Ul Ain, Salman Khan and Hussain Ali\*

Department of Pharmacy, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

*Nanopharmaceuticals: A Boon to the Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.83040*

direct delivery of therapeutic moiety in the target site [76]. Ocular and intranasal drug delivery for the brain was compared by a group, in which nerve growth factor (NGF) was used for treating Alzheimer's disease. However, it was found out that intranasal drug administration was more effective and potent for brain disorders and ocular route did not perform well. However, many scientists are working for making the ocular route a success because of it being the compliant and non-invasive route [77]. There has been a huge room for the administration of nanocarrier through ocular route to the brain. Nanocarrier can facilitate drug delivery to the brain because of their size, site-retention properties and enhanced adhesion to the lacrimal fluid. The route can be exploited for the delivery of drugs and genes to CNS by avoiding systemic exposure via nanopharmaceuticals [78].
