2018/11/01 by Cinzia Maria Bellettato, Maurizio Scarpa · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Adenosine and Purinergic Signaling #Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research #Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1186/s13052-018-0563-0
openalex publication_date 2018/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a heterogeneous group of in-born metabolic conditions caused by genetic defects that result in the absence or severe deficiency of one of the lysosomal hydrolases responsible for the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Such enzyme deficiency causes accumulation of GAGs that begins in infancy and progressively worsens, often affecting several organs including the central nervous system (CNS) inducing mental retardation, progressive neurodegeneration, and premature death. Over the last years, enormous progress has been made in the treatment of many MPS types, and available treatments are efficacious for many of them. Nevertheless, treatment of MPS with CNS involvement is limited mostly because of delivery impediments related to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This chapter presents an overview of the BBB and of the different strategies that have been developed to overcome the problem of drug transport at the BBB, assuring efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain.