The recent development of nanoparticles for brain tumor targeting delivery

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have attracted a lot of interest due to their widespread diagnostic and therapeutic applications in neuro-oncology. Functinalization of the particles surface with targeting molecules that recognize tumor receptors might be exploited for the specific brain tumor targeting. Furthermore, multifunctional and/or theranostic SPIONs can be used for simultaneous imaging of cancer and anti-tumor drug delivery. In this review article, we will specifically focus on the application of focused ultrasound and external magnetic field for the facilitation of the intratumoral accumulation of particles.