Open AccessExpanding the Arsenal Against Huntington's Disease-Herbal Drugs and Their Nanoformulations
Author(s) -
Sukriti Vishwas,
Monica Gulati,
Bhupinder Kapoor,
Saurabh Gupta,
Vijay Kumar,
Ankit Awasthi,
Thakur Gurjeet Singh,
Suman Baishnab,
Arzoo Khan,
Aditya Goyal,
Anil Kumar Bansal,
Omji Porwal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
current neuropharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.955
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1875-6190
pISSN - 1570-159X
DOI - 10.2174/1570159x18666201109090824
Subject(s) - medicine , huntington's disease , neuroprotection , nanocarriers , drug , disease , pharmacology , clinical trial , bioinformatics , biology
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal fatal genetic disease in which degeneration of neuronal cells occurs in the central nervous system (CNS). Commonly used therapeutics are cludemonoamine depletors, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and tranquilizers. However, these drugs cannot prevent the psychotic, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunctions associated with HD. In addition to this, their chronic use is limited by their long-term side effects. Herbal drugs offer a plausible alternative to this and have shown substantial therapeutic effects against HD. Moreover, their safety profile is better in terms of side effects. However, due to limited drug solubility and permeability to reach the target site, herbal drugs have not been able to reach the stage of clinical exploration. In recent years, the paradigm of research has been shifted towards the development of herbal drugs based nanoformulations that can enhance their bioavailability and blood-brain barrier permeability. The present review covers the pathophysiology of HD, available biomarkers, phytomedicines explored against HD, ongoing clinical trials on herbal drugs exclusively for treating HD and their nanocarriers, along with their potential neuroprotective effects.