A–D) Common transport routes for solute molecules that are needed for normal brain metabolism. E–G) Transport routes that can be hijacked to deliver drugs to the brain. Drugs can be conjugated to insulin, transferrin, or albumin or loaded into liposomes, nanoparticles, or immune cells to utilize transcytosis pathways.
Reprinted by permission from Elsevier: Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, copyright 2011.
Chen Y, Liu L. (2012) Modern methods for delivery of drugs across the blood-brain barrier. Advanced drug delivery reviews. 64: 640–65. PMID: 22154620