Targeted Therapies and Drug Delivery for Neurodegenerative Diseases

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 70

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Interests: neurodegenerative diseases; pharmacology; drug discovery; drug repurposing; neuroinflammation
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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy
Interests: neurodegenerative disease; epilepsy; pharmacology; neuroinflammation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The treatment of neurodegenerative diseases faces two major hurdles: the complexity of disease mechanisms and the challenge of efficiently delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system. Disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and epilepsy involve intricate pathological cascades, including protein misfolding, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and synaptic dysfunction. Moreover, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) severely limits the passage of most pharmacological agents, hindering the efficacy of potential treatments.

Recent breakthroughs in targeted therapies and advanced drug delivery systems are reshaping the therapeutic landscape, offering unprecedented precision in modulating pathological processes while overcoming biological barriers. Nanoparticle-based carriers, ligand-directed approaches, exosome-mediated delivery, and biomimetic platforms have shown great promise in enhancing drug bioavailability and selectivity. In parallel, gene- and peptide-based therapeutics are emerging as powerful tools to correct disease mechanisms at the molecular level, paving the way for disease-modifying treatments.

This Special Issue seeks cutting-edge contributions on innovative strategies that push the boundaries of neurodegenerative disease treatment. We invite original research and review articles focusing on novel drug formulations, advanced delivery platforms, and BBB-targeting mechanisms and translational studies bridging preclinical and clinical applications. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and highlighting the latest advancements in the field, this issue aims to accelerate the development of transformative therapies and improve patient outcomes in the fight against neurodegeneration.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ramona Meanti
Dr. Chiara Lucchi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • targeted drug delivery
  • blood–brain barrier
  • neurodegenerative disease treatment
  • precision medicine
  • neuroscience

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