Recent advances in theranostic nanomaterials for overcoming traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health challenge characterized by complex secondary injury mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Traditional biosensing and therapy strategies often face limitations due to ineffective biomarker detection and poor drug targeting at the injury site. Recently, theranostic nanomaterials have emerged as a promising solution, integrating diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities within a single nanoscale platform. This review explores the latest advances in nanotherapeutics and nanosensors for TBI management. The first section summarizes various nanotherapeutic approaches, including PEGylated-polystyrene nanoparticles, porous silicon nanoparticles, carbon dot nanoparticles, dendrimer nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and siRNA-based nanoparticles, all of which have demonstrated enhanced neuroprotection and targeted drug delivery in TBIs. Notably, LNPs exhibit further optimized biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy, while carbon dot nanoparticles function as nanozymes to combat oxidative stress, thereby mitigating neuronal damage. The second section focuses on nanosensors for TBIs, including peptide-based nanosensors, ECM-targeted nanosensors, and biomarker-responsive platforms capable of real-time diagnosis and monitoring of TBI progression. Additionally, the use of polymeric and fibrinogen-based nanosensors is discussed as advanced strategies to improve precision detection and therapeutic control. This review provides a comprehensive overview of theranostic nanomaterials for TBIs, highlighting their transformative potential in diagnosis and targeted treatment, while addressing key translational challenges to clinical application.