Grueneberg Ganglion: An Unexplored Site for Intranasal Drug Delivery in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis pose significant challenges for treatment. Reasons for the difficulty in finding cures for these conditions include complications in early diagnosis, progressive and irreversible neuronal damage, and the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which hinders the delivery of drugs to the affected areas of the brain. Intranasal (INL) drug administration has increasingly gained popularity among researchers for targeting neurological conditions, because of its ability to bypass the BBB. However, chronic INL administration leads to nasal mucosa irritation. Additionally, rapid mucociliary clearance, a lack of targeted drug delivery, increased enzymatic degradation, and tight junctions that obstruct drug transport limit the clinical applicability of the INL route. To overcome these challenges, a unique region in the rodent nose, known as the Grueneberg Ganglion (GG), can be considered to be a novel site for INL drug administration. GG is a small structure housed under the snout cartilage of the nasal septum, approximately 1.5 mm from the nasal opening in mice. It is directly connected to the main olfactory bulb through axons. This Perspective aims to expand knowledge on why GG may be a viable option for INL delivery to combat neurological conditions. For better understanding, we have explained the INL administration in GG, using Alzheimer’s Disease and INL insulin therapy as a role model for the current review.