Redox-Responsive Delivery System for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects motor functions due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. Its pathogenesis is intricately associated with oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation that lead to neuronal damage. Current treatment strategies only offer symptomatic alleviation and have not addressed disease mechanisms or reversed its progression. Redox-responsive drug delivery systems are one of the new innovations aimed at reducing high oxidative stress levels in PD brains to release the drug in a targeted and controlled manner. In this chapter, different redox-sensitive platforms like nanoparticles, hydrogels, micelles, and prodrugs are discussed and designed and developed for releasing therapeutic agents like antioxidants, dopaminergic agents, and neuroprotective compounds. Besides that, it aims to modulate blood-brain barrier penetration via redox-sensitive modification and receptor-mediated mechanisms. Results from the preclinical level demonstrate the feasibility of these systems for improving the efficacy of drugs and reducing the possibility of side effects and neurodegeneration. Nevertheless, considerable problems in the context of biocompatibility, scalability, and inter-patient variability remain to be overcome. Future directions combine personalized medicine and multistimuli-responsive systems to make redox-responsive delivery systems even more effective for PD therapy.