Theranostic applications of nanoparticles in neurodegenerative disorders

Abstract

Sahana Ramanathan,1 Govindaraju Archunan,2 Muthusamy Sivakumar,3 Subramanian Tamil Selvan,4 A Lenin Fred,5 Sundramurthy Kumar,1 Balázs Gulyás,1 Parasuraman Padmanabhan1 1Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; 2Department of Animal Science, Centre for Pheromone Technology (CPT), Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India; 3Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli, India; 4Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Singapore; 5Mar Ephraem College of Engineering and Technology, Kanyakumari, India Abstract: The preeminent treatments for neurodegenerative disease are often unavailable due to the poor accessibility of therapeutic drugs. Moreover, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) effectively blocks the transfer of cells, particles and large molecules, ie, drugs, across the brain. The most important challenge in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is the development of targeted drug delivery system. Theranostic strategies are known to combine therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities together. The aim of this review was to record the response to treatment and thereby improve drug safety. Nanotechnology offers a platform for designing and developing theranostic agents that can be used as an efficient nano-carrier system. This is achieved by the manipulation of some of the properties of nanoparticles (NPs), thereby enabling the attachment of suitable drugs onto their surface. The results provide revolutionary treatments by stimulation and thus interaction with targeted sites to promote physiological response with minimum side effects. This review is a brief discussion of the administration of drugs across the brain and the advantages of using NPs as an effective theranostic platform in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Huntington’s disease. Keywords: theranostics, neurological disease, nanoparticles, imaging

Keywords

• theranostics
• neurological disease
• nanoparticles
• imaging.