Nanotechnology Platforms; An Innovative Approach to Brain Tumor Therapy

Baiju      G. Nair; Saino      Hanna Varghese; Remya      Nair; Yasuhiko      Yoshida; Toru      Maekawa; D.      Sakthi Kumar

doi:10.2174/157340611796799113

Abstract

Nano Drug Delivery, as a treatment method against brain tumors, is a progressing area in the field of precise targeted drug administration methodology. The unresolved problems related to chemotherapy, other invasive therapeutic procedures and various obstructions offered by biological barriers are circumvented by nanodrug delivery. Recent dramatic developments in nanotechnology have created a lot of nano-devices which could be used against cancer. Infiltration, modulation of the Blood Brain Barrier, camouflaged from immune defense mechanism and the specific targeting of cancer affected cells are a few of the attractive features of nanodevices. We present here a review of newly evolved nanoplatforms in brain tumor therapy in which careful attention has been paid into various form nanoparticles, useful targeting ligands, altered chemotherapy agents and existing tumor therapy methods using nanotechnology.

Keywords: Brain tumor, blood brain barrier, chemotherapy, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanodrug delivery, neutron capture therapy, photodynamic therapy, RNAi, targeting ligands