Chlorotoxin-conjugated nanoparticles as potential glioma-targeted drugs

Development of glioma-specific nanoparticles has been an area of intense research over the past several years. Iron oxide, multifunctional superparamagnetic, and NaYF(4):Yb,rare-earth upconversion nanoparticles, conjugated with chlorotoxin (CTX, a key toxin in scorpion venom which has been shown to bind specifically to glioma cell surface as a specific chloride channel and matrix metalloproteinase-2 blocker), exhibit high affinity for glioma and direct tumor visualization. We review the latest improvements of CTX-modified nanoparticle platforms which might enable development of more effective therapeutic agents in clinical treatment of glioma.