Nanoparticle-Based Treatment and Imaging of Brain Tumors Potentials and Limitations

Despite intensive therapeutic interventions, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, brain tumors remain one of the most difficult cancers to treat and cure. There are over 120 different forms of brain cancer, including meningiomas, astrocytomas, gliomas, pituitary tumors, acoustic neuromas, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a condition in which chemotherapy fails because cancer cells are resistant to certain drugs in the treatment regimen. The blood–tumor barrier (BTB) is the barrier that forms between the circulating blood and the tumor tissue. While the BBB is impaired in most glioma cases, residual BTB function generally limits the distribution of antineoplastic agents to subtherapeutic levels. “Nanoghosts” (NGs) are mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) membrane-based central nervous system (CNS) delivery systems. Ferroptosis therapy (FT) is a pre-clinical cancer therapy that induces ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) show promise as an effective theranostic tool, exhibited by its ability to be used simultaneously for magnetic particle imaging (MPI) and treatment using hyperthermia. In acknowledging the need to better understand the biological effects of nanotechnology products, the FDA established the Nanotechnology Regulatory Science Research Program to assess the impact of dimension-dependent properties on safety and effectiveness. As our knowledge of nanoparticle engineering grows, they will play an ever-expanding role in brain tumor management.