Abstract

Malignant brain tumours are one of the most devastating human cancers associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. The median survival of malignant glioma patients ranges between 3 and 16 months and has virtually remained unchanged during the last 3 decades. Difficulties in early detection, local recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapies are the major reasons for failure in malignant brain tumour treatment. The therapy of malignant gliomas is further limited by the inadequate delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier, blood– brain–tumor barrier as well as non-specificity targeting. Nanoparticles (NPs) have drawn increased interest in treating malignant brain tumours due to their potential to act as a vector for brain delivery and to provide tumour-specific detection and treatment. If designed appropriately, NPs may act as a drug vehicle able to target tumor tissues or cells, and protect the drug from inactivation during its transport. The aim of this article was to provide brief overview of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for imaging and treatment of brain cancer and to evaluate their safety in clinical use. Besides invasive physical methods to bypass or disrupt the BBB and/or BBTB, other methods like pharmacological and physiologic approach are possible. Different manufacturing methods of nano-formulation have been investigated and these include nano-precipitation, emulsion polymerization, emulsion solvent evaporation, supercritical fluid expansion method, complex coacervation, salting out method, and denaturation. liposomes can serve as a controlled release carrier or simply as a biocompatible solubilizing vehicle for poorly soluble agents. Dendrimers are organic NPs capable of crossing the BBB to deliver therapeutics to tumors. Most inorganic NPs employ an organic polymer as a protective layer so as to increase circulation, half-life and to protect both the particle from the body and the