Emerging blood-brain-barrier-crossing nanotechnology for brain cancer theranostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Neuro-oncology

Background:

• Brain cancer, particularly glioblastoma, is highly invasive with a poor prognosis, often exceeding a median survival of only 16 months.
• The blood-brain barrier (BBB) severely restricts drug delivery to the brain, complicating treatment strategies for brain tumors.
• Existing treatments have limited efficacy due to challenges in drug penetration and tumor targeting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in nanotechnology for overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
• To highlight the design principles of multifunctional nanoplatforms for brain cancer theranostics.
• To explore nanotechnology's potential for improved diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on nanotechnology-based strategies for BBB penetration.
• Analysis of multifunctional nanoplatform designs for brain tumor theranostics.
• Focus on nanoplatforms enabling BBB crossing, tumor accumulation, imaging, and inhibition.

Main Results:

• Nanotechnology has enabled the development of nanoplatforms capable of crossing or bypassing the BBB.
• These nanoplatforms facilitate accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of brain tumors.
• Multifunctional nanoplatforms show promise for enhanced BBB penetration, tumor targeting, and therapeutic efficacy.

Conclusions:

• BBB-crossing nanotechnology represents a significant breakthrough in brain cancer theranostics.
• Judicious design of nanoplatforms is crucial for efficient BBB penetration and tumor inhibition.
• This review aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration for developing advanced nanoplatforms for brain cancer.