Nanostructure self-assembly for direct nose-to-brain drug delivery: a novel approach for cryptococcal meningitis

Abstract Achieving surface design and control of biomimetic materials with nanometer scale in self-organized systems is essential to mimic the unique features of native tissue, which have significant technological implications for target drug delivery. The blood–brain barrier is a challenge for drug delivery to the brain and brain–spinal fluid, generally the intravenous route is the first choice for treatment. Cryptococcal meningitis is an opportunistic infection commonly identified as life-threatening. The brain is isolated and protected from the external environment. The physiological and histological organization allows regulating central nervous system homeostasis and provides an obstacle for drug to reach target sites. The intranasal pathway is useful for drug delivery system and as an alternative to oral and parenteral routes. Biomimetic nanostructured self-assembly is offering a bridge between classical and biological branches of materials science. The nanosized self-assembly facilitates delivery of the drugs to one particular target, and the nanostructure for drug delivery nose-to-brain can be a strategy for treatment of meningitis. This study aims to show that the biomimetic self-organized systems for drug delivery by nose-to-brain route are an alternative viable in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis.