Fig. 5: Self-assembling hydrogels delivering L-dopa for the treatment of PD.

a Schematic of the synthetic process of gelator with glutamine amide derivative and benzaldehyde, molecular structure of L-DOPA and superiorities of the gelator for nasal delivery. b Dorsal view of the brain and dissection locations of various brain parts including the olfactory bulbs (OB), the cerebrum (CB 1and 2), trigeminal nerves (TN), the brain stem (BS) and cerebellum (CE). c % of [3H] L-DOPA taken by different brain segments. Whole body was perfused with 0.9% saline, and the studied tissues were dissected for liquid scintillation counting. Experimental results are expressed as % uptake normalized to total [3H] L-DOPA. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD, n = 3. Reproduced with permission from ref. 60. Copyright 2021 John Wiley and Sons.