Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• early detection and the identification of reliable biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Moreover, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) poses a significant obstacle to effective drug delivery, further hindering the development of successful treatments. Nanomaterials (NMs) offer promising solutions for the early

Synthetic-polymer-assisted antisense oligonucleotide delivery: targeted approaches for precision disease treatment

• Ana Cubillo Alvarez,
• Dylan Maguire and
• Ruairí P. Brannigan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 435–463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.34

• study, Min et al. investigated the use of PLL to develop glucose-coated polymeric nanocarriers for the systemic delivery of ASOs across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) [71]. The authors utilised a polyion complex micelle (PIC/M) platform based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ʟ-lysine) (PEG–PLL, DPPLL = 42

Radiosensitizing properties of dual-functionalized carbon nanostructures loaded with temozolomide

• Radmila Milenkovska,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Petre Makreski,
• Dushko Lukarski,
• Igor Stojkovski,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska and
• Kristina Mladenovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 229–251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.18

• for active agent loading and functionalization with (intra)cellular component targeting ligands, and extremely small size for crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and targeted delivery to the brain. The hydrophobic nature of the CNs offers good membrane permeability. Through chemical modifications

Nanocarriers and macrophage interaction: from a potential hurdle to an alternative therapeutic strategy

• Naths Grazia Sukubo,
• Paolo Bigini and
• Annalisa Morelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 97–118, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.10

• . Intranasal delivery has emerged as a promising strategy for targeting the central nervous system by bypassing the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This approach was demonstrated by the nose-to-brain administration of D6-cholestrol-loaded liposomes, which led to an accumulation of D6-cholesterol in the brain in

Biomimetic nanocarriers: integrating natural functions for advanced therapeutic applications

• Hugo Felix Perini,
• Beatriz Sodré Matos,
• Carlo José Freire de Oliveira and
• Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1619–1626, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.127

• employed in treating other diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Current medications for Alzheimer's face the challenge of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which includes the blood–brain, cerebrospinal fluid–brain, and blood–cerebrospinal fluid barriers. These barriers exhibit high selectivity in drug

Nanotechnological approaches for efficient N2B delivery: from small-molecule drugs to biopharmaceuticals

• Selin Akpinar Adscheid,
• Akif E. Türeli,
• Nazende Günday-Türeli and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1400–1414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.113

• small or large molecules from the current literature, we highlight the preclinical studies and their results to prove the strategies’ success and limitations. Keywords: antibody delivery; biopharmaceutical delivery; blood–brain barrier (BBB); CNS diseases; drug delivery; hybrid nanoparticles

• considered a challenge because of the existence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB, Figure 1), which is composed of several cell types [7]. The BBB is a dynamic and selective interface between the systemic circulation and the brain [8]. The structure of the healthy BBB relies on the endothelial cells and the

On the additive artificial intelligence-based discovery of nanoparticle neurodegenerative disease drug delivery systems

• Shan He,
• Julen Segura Abarrategi,
• Harbil Bediaga,
• Sonia Arrasate and
• Humberto González-Díaz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 535–555, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.47

• inadequate solubility, limited bioavailability, and inability to effectively penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB) [6]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to focus on the advancement of novel neurodegenerative disease drugs (NDDs) [7][8]. The major obstacle encountered by NDDs is the selectivity of the BBB

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

• Nguyen Nhat Nam,
• Nguyen Khoi Song Tran,
• Tan Tai Nguyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Trai,
• Nguyen Phuong Thuy,
• Hoang Dang Khoa Do,
• Nhu Hoa Thi Tran and
• Kieu The Loan Trinh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 396–415, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.36

• because most drugs cannot cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) [115][116]. Besides, the accumulation of drugs at damaged areas of the BBB can lead to an unprotected, disrupted BBB and to disturbances of the brain microenvironment. In contrast, the integrity of the BBB can decrease the accumulation of drugs

Polymer nanoparticles from low-energy nanoemulsions for biomedical applications

• Santiago Grijalvo and
• Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 339–350, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.29

• showed that the PLGA nanoparticles functionalized with 8D3 antibody were able to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) as demonstrated by the analgesic effect of encapsulated loperamide on mice. PLGA nanoparticles prepared using Polysorbate 80 with the same formulation discussed above (diameter ca. 27 nm

Overview of mechanism and consequences of endothelial leakiness caused by metal and polymeric nanoparticles

• Magdalena Lasak and
• Karol Ciepluch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 329–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.28

• (CNS), where endothelial cells form the tightest and the most selective blood–brain barrier (BBB) that provides protection against the penetration of harmful substances and pathogens. Other types of connections include adherens junctions, maintained primarily by transmembrane VE-cadherin, and gap

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• cells have also been found to have the ability to penetrate the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) in some special cases [26][27]. As a highly specialized structure, the BBB maintains homeostasis of the central nervous system [48]. The targeted delivery of drugs to the brain is challenging because of the limited

Key for crossing the BBB with nanoparticles: the rational design

• Sonia M. Lombardo,
• Marc Schneider,
• Akif E. Türeli and
• Nazende Günday Türeli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 866–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.72

• Central nervous system diseases are a heavy burden on society and health care systems. Hence, the delivery of drugs to the brain has gained more and more interest. The brain is protected by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a selective barrier formed by the endothelial cells of the cerebral microvessels

• nanoparticles (AuNPs); blood–brain barrier (BBB); drug delivery; liposomes; nanomedicine; polymeric nanoparticles; solid lipid nanoparticles; superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); Introduction Neurological disorders and brain diseases are real burdens for modern societies and healthcare systems

• damaged by ischemia [2]. One of the main limitations for the treatment of neurological disorders is the difficulty to deliver drugs to the brain. The brain is surrounded by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a selective barrier formed by the endothelial cells of the cerebral microvessels [3][4]. The surface

Effects of gold and PCL- or PLLA-coated silica nanoparticles on brain endothelial cells and the blood–brain barrier

• Aniela Bittner,
• Angélique D. Ducray,
• Hans Rudolf Widmer,
• Michael H. Stoffel and
• Meike Mevissen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 941–954, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.95

• and specialized structures such as the blood–brain barrier (BBB). To be able to safely employ LTS in nanomedicine, such unwanted effects need to be studied. Previously, we investigated effects of silica (Si-), namely silica-ICG/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and silica-ICG/poly(ε-caprolactone-poly(L

Targeting strategies for improving the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology

• Gonzalo Villaverde and
• Alejandro Baeza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 168–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.16

• drug-loaded liposomes for glioblastoma treatment. Glioblastoma, localized in the brain, represents one of the major challenges in drug delivery due to the necessity to pass the blood brain barrier (BBB). BBB inhibits the passage of 98% of the medicines administered through the systemic route and

Cationic PEGylated polycaprolactone nanoparticles carrying post-operation docetaxel for glioma treatment

• Cem Varan and
• Erem Bilensoy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1446–1456, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.144

• , intravenous or orally administered chemotherapy drugs have very low efficacy due to challenges in reaching the brain and tumor area. The blood brain barrier (BBB) is the essential protection of the brain and only 1% of chemotherapeutic agents can pass this barrier without losing their pharmacological activity

Unraveling the neurotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: focusing on molecular mechanisms

• Bin Song,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Jia Liu,
• Xiaoli Feng,
• Ting Zhou and
• Longquan Shao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 645–654, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.57

• mice were exposed to TiO2 NPs via several administration routes (e.g., nasal instillation, subcutaneous injection and oral exposure), NPs can be absorbed and translocated into the brain mainly through the blood–brain barrier (BBB) or the nose-to-brain pathway, which bypasses the BBB. Given that TiO2