Diseases of the brain are on the rise, with dramatic increases in brain cancers, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.

For example, brain tumors caused by lung and breast cancer metastasis are estimated to have increased by approximately 200% in the last twenty years. Similarly, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to double in the next 15 years as our population ages. The impact of these diseases drives broad tolls on patients, caregivers, families, communities as well as broad economic consequences.

While our scientific and healthcare communities have made broad advances across numerous diseases, progress against diseases of the brain has been relatively absent and we still remain very poor at treating these diseases. Advances to treating brain diseases remains the final frontier in healthcare.

Critical to these problems are two key aspects, 1) understanding the biological complexity of the brain and 2) delivery of drugs to specific regions of the brain and overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB).