Nanopharmaceuticals: Innovative theranostics for the neurological disorders

Over the past few decades, nanotechnology has emerged as a topic of great interest with a wide range of scientific investigations. This highly sophisticated technology covers a vast array of materials and devices including the high-resolution imaging for the early diagnosis of diseases and targeted delivery of genes or drugs leading to a more efficient therapeutic outcome. The limited efficacy of currently available therapeutic options against the neurological disorders have evoked tremendous efforts towards the development of novel treatment strategies. In this respect, multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted delivery of drugs across the blood-brain barrier have been designed to improve the bioavailability and reduce the side effects. Nanoengineered materials or nanodevices with ability to interact with biological systems including the nervous system have been designed for tracking the real-time dynamics of receptors in the central nervous system as well as neuronal recording or stimulation that may result in the neuroprotection or neural regeneration. Indeed, application of the cutting-edge nanotechnologies may revolutionize our knowledge about the neurophysiology and neurobiology including the cellular or molecular events in neurons leading to the more efficient treatments in central nervous system disorders. In the present article, an overview of the theranostic (therapeutic and diagnostic) potential of nanopharmaceuticals in the neurological disorders has been provided. Biomedical Reviews 2014; 25: 25-34.