Nanoparticles for Diagnosis and Target Therapy in Pediatric Brain Cancers

Clara Guido; Clara Baldari; Gabriele Maiorano; Angela Mastronuzzi; Andrea Carai; Concetta Quintarelli; Biagio De Angelis; Barbara Cortese; Giuseppe Gigli; Ilaria Elena Palamà

doi:10.3390/diagnostics12010173

Diagnostics (Jan 2022)

Nanoparticles for Diagnosis and Target Therapy in Pediatric Brain Cancers

Clara Guido,
Clara Baldari,
Gabriele Maiorano,
Angela Mastronuzzi,
Andrea Carai,
Concetta Quintarelli,
Biagio De Angelis,
Barbara Cortese,
Giuseppe Gigli,
Ilaria Elena Palamà

Affiliations

Clara Guido: Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Clara Baldari: Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Gabriele Maiorano: Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-NANOTEC, Monteroni Street, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Angela Mastronuzzi: Neuro-Oncology Unit, Department of Onco-Haematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Haemopoietic Transplant, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Andrea Carai: Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Concetta Quintarelli: Department Onco-Haematology, and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Biagio De Angelis: Department Onco-Haematology, and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Barbara Cortese: Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-NANOTEC, c/o La Sapienza University, Piazzale A. Moro, 00165 Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Gigli: Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Salento, Monteroni Street, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Ilaria Elena Palamà: Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-NANOTEC, Monteroni Street, 73100 Lecce, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12010173
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
p. 173

Abstract

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Pediatric brain tumors represent the most common types of childhood cancer and novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions are urgently needed. The gold standard treatment option for brain cancers in children, as in adults, is tumor resection followed by radio- and chemotherapy, but with discouraging therapeutic results. In particular, the last two treatments are often associated to significant neurotoxicity in the developing brain of a child, with resulting disabilities such as cognitive problems, neuroendocrine, and neurosensory dysfunctions/deficits. Nanoparticles have been increasingly and thoroughly investigated as they show great promises as diagnostic tools and vectors for gene/drug therapy for pediatric brain cancer due to their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. In this review we will discuss the developments of nanoparticle-based strategies as novel precision nanomedicine tools for diagnosis and therapy in pediatric brain cancers, with a particular focus on targeting strategies to overcome the main physiological obstacles that are represented by blood–brain barrier.

Published in Diagnostics

ISSN: 2075-4418 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/diagnostics

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