Nanomaterial applications in multiple sclerosis inflamed brain

Abstract

In the last years scientific progress in nanomaterials, where size and shape make the difference, has increased their utilization in medicine with the development of a promising new translational science: nanomedicine. Due to their surface and core biophysical properties, nanomaterials hold the promise for medical applications in central nervous system (CNS) diseases: inflammatory, degenerative and tumors. The present review is focused on nanomaterials at the neuro-immune interface, evaluating two aspects: the possible CNS inflammatory response induced by nanomaterials and the developments of nanomaterials to improve treatment and diagnosis of neuroinflammatory diseases, with a focus on multiple sclerosis (MS). Indeed, nanomedicine allows projecting new ways of drug delivery and novel techniques for CNS imaging. Despite the wide field of application in neurological diseases of nanomaterials, our topic here is to review the more recent development of nanomaterials that cross blood brain barrier (BBB) and reach specific target during CNS inflammatory diseases, a crucial strategy for CNS early diagnosis and drug delivery, indeed the main challenges of nanomedicine.