Polymeric Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery to the Brain

The blood–brain barrier is a major hurdle in the development of systemically administered therapeutics targeting the brain. Polymers, a class of materials composed of long monomer chains, have been extensively used to tackle this problem. Polymeric systems offer an unmatched ability to be designed based on their intended use by modulating their synthesis, composition, and base monomers. This flexibility has been used not only to create various types of polymeric nanoparticles (dendrimers, polymersomes, and polyplexes), but also to create scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix, allowing tissue growth and regeneration. Advances in polymeric systems, particularly in the context of drug delivery to the brain, are an ever-evolving area with tremendous translational potential.