Small Solutions for Big Problems: The Application of Nanoparticles to Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy

Abstract

Nanoparticles have the potential for advancing the diagnosis, operative management and adjuvant therapy brain tumors in the future. Nanoparticle-based MR contrast agents have the potential to uncover portions of tumor, especially along the tumor-brain interface, that would have been unclear with traditional gadolinium-enhanced MRI. In addition, several nanoparticles, developed with the objective of allowing the surgeon to see tumor margins intraoperatively, may ultimately enable neurosurgeons to improve the extent of brain tumor resection. Moreover, the delivery of chemotherapy and non-traditional therapies to brain tumors will likely be greatly improved by nanoparticle based-drug delivery devices. As our knowledge of their pharmacology and long-term health effects expands, nanoparticles are likely to play a central role in the future management of the brain tumor patient.