Nanoparticle Strategies for Treating CNS Disorders: A Comprehensive Review of Drug Delivery and Theranostic Applications

Abstract

This review aims to address the significant challenges of treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases, strokes, spinal cord injuries, and brain tumors. These disorders are difficult to manage due to the complexity of disease mechanisms and the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restricts drug delivery. Recent advancements in nanoparticle (NP) technologies offer promising solutions, with potential applications in drug delivery, neuroprotection, and neuroregeneration. By examining current research, we explore how NPs can cross the BBB, deliver medications directly to targeted CNS regions, and enhance both diagnostics and treatment. Key NP strategies, such as passive targeting, receptor-mediated transport, and stimuli-responsive systems, demonstrate encouraging results. Studies show that NPs may improve drug delivery, minimize side effects, and increase therapeutic effectiveness in models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, and glioblastoma. NP technologies thus represent a promising approach for CNS disorder management, combining drug delivery and diagnostic capabilities to enable more precise and effective treatments that could significantly benefit patient outcomes.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; blood–brain barrier; nanomedicine; nanoparticles; nanotechnology; neurodegenerative diseases; neuroregeneration; targeted drug delivery; theranostics.

Figure 1

This schematic illustrates the structural and functional dynamics of the BBB and its role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Figure 2

Demonstrates the mechanism of liposome-based targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. Liposomes are functionalized with targeting ligands and antibodies for receptor-specific binding, loaded with anticancer drugs, and delivered to cancer cells.