Emerging therapeutic landscape on delivery of oxytocin to brain for treating neurological disorders

Neurological ailments constitute a substantial cause of disability and death. There are several treatments to manage neurological disorders, employing both synthesized molecules and biomacromolecules. Oxytocin is a promising neuropeptide molecule for the management of various neurological disorders. Oxytocin receptors are expressed in various regions of the brain, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. They are involved in the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric ailments such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, major depressive disorder, anxiety, mood disorders, autism, schizophrenia etc. Various pre-clinical and clinical reports advocate oxytocin to be a promising remedy for neurodisorders. However, limitations to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), frequent dose regime due to fast metabolism, elimination, the unwanted side effects lead to limited brain exposure to this neuropeptide in neuro ailments. This review presents an overview of the newer and advanced discoveries which have been enabled effective delivery of oxytocin across BBB. Numerous facts on nanocarrier-based medicine and routes of oxytocin administration for the treatment of neuro disorders have been recapitulated with ex vivo, preclinical, and clinical technologies explored so far to manage various neurological disorders with oxytocin.