Shazia Afzal Usmani

By Shazia Usmani, Shadma Wahab, Abdul Hafeez, Shabana Khatoon and Syed Misbahul Hasan

Peroxisomes are indispensably involved as a central player in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species, bile acids, ether phospholipids, very-long-chain, and branched-chain fatty acids. The three subtypes of PPARs are PPAR-alpha, PPAR-delta, and PPAR-gamma which have been found to be instrumental in the control of cancer metabolism cascades. Any disproportionate expression of PPAR can lead to the progression of cell growth and survival in diverse types of cancers. It can be exploited both as an agonist or antagonist for utilization as a potential therapeutic alternative for the treatment of cancer. Therefore, the multifunctional PPAR modulators have substantial promise in various types of cancer therapies. Many recent studies led to the observations that a variety of phytochemicals, including phenolics, have been implicated in anticancer effects. Plant phenolics seem to have both palliative and treatment opportunities in combating cancer which requires deep insight into the proposed mechanisms. Henceforth, this chapter highlights the role of peroxisomal subtypes as an activator or suppressor followed by its modulation through bioactive obtained from a variety of crude drugs. A discussion on various challenges restricting proper utilization has also been incorporated.

Part of the book: The Metabolic Role of Peroxisome in Health and Disease

By Abdul Hafeez and Shazia Afzal Usmani

Diseases related to the brain are causing a huge problem worldwide. Different drug formulations are available for the management of brain-related disorders, but due to less drug availability for the brain and non-specificity, it becomes difficult to completely cure life-threatening brain disorders. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the entry of drug molecules/drug-loaded carriers because of the presence of various efflux transporters and drug inactivating enzymes. Researchers have identified an intranasal route for direct delivery to the brain, bypassing BBB. Nanotechnology-enabled lipid-based drug carrier systems have shown potential for the management of brain diseases through nose-to-brain delivery. Liposomes are the most extensively investigated carrier systems because of biocompatibility, controlled release characteristics, easy surface modification, and biodegradability. This chapter highlights the important aspects of nose-to-brain delivery and strategies for enhancing the availability of drugs through liposomes in the management of different brain-related diseases.

Part of the book: Liposomes