Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a bulk flow-driven process. It allows direct, homogeneous, targeted perfusion of CNS regions with putative therapeutics while bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Delivering therapeutic neurotrophic factors directly to the brain for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and other movement disorders has moved researchers in the last decade into this promising field. The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a well-established trophic agent for dopaminergic (DA) neurons in vitro and in vivo. GDNF is necessary for maintenance of neuronal morphological and neurochemical phenotype and protects DA neurons from toxic damage. Numerous studies on animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have reported beneficial effects of GDNF on nigrostriatal DA neuron survival. However, translation of these observations to the clinical setting has been hampered so far by side effects associated with the chronic continuous intra-striatal infusion of recombinant GDNF. We report past and present research investigating the potential of direct drug delivery to the brain for the treatment of PD and other movement disorders.
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FEBNS et al. (2018) studied this question.
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