Inorganic Nanoparticles for Brain Targeting Scope and Limitations

The drug delivery to the brain on systemic administration creates hindrance because of the presence of blood–brain barrier (BBB). The utilization of novel nanomaterials such as inorganic nanoparticles for delivery of drug to the brain by overcoming such barriers has been explored widely in recent years. These include carbon, silver, gold, and iron oxide nanoparticles for precise delivery of drug to the brain. The various strategies include combination of inorganic nanoparticles with targeting molecules which can facilitate the passage of these nanoparticles through the BBB using several transport mechanisms such as receptor-mediated transcytosis, adsorptive mediated transcytosis, and use of peptide vectors to deliver the cargo drug to the CNS. Through this book chapter, the reader will be introduced to the fascinating tunable characteristics of inorganic nanoparticles and its advantages in the drug delivery to the brain. The biosafety and toxicity aspect of these nanomaterials will also be discussed. Furthermore, the most recent advancements in the field of novel strategies to overcome the challenges associated with drug delivery to the brain have been discussed.