RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Gold-based nanomaterials for the treatment of brain cancer
JF Cancer Biology and Medicine
JO Cancer Biol Med
FD China Anti-Cancer Association
SP 372
OP 387
DO 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0524
VO 18
IS 2
A1 Li Tu
A1 Zheng Luo
A1 Yun-Long Wu
A1 Shuaidong Huo
A1 Xing-Jie Liang
YR 2021
UL http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/18/2/372.abstract
AB Brain cancer, also known as intracranial cancer, is one of the most invasive and fatal cancers affecting people of all ages. Despite the great advances in medical technology, improvements in transporting drugs into brain tissue have been limited by the challenge of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Fortunately, recent endeavors using gold-based nanomaterials (GBNs) have indicated the potential of these materials to cross the BBB. Therefore, GBNs might be an attractive therapeutic strategy against brain cancer. Herein, we aim to present a comprehensive summary of current understanding of the critical effects of the physicochemical properties and surface modifications of GBNs on BBB penetration for applications in brain cancer treatment. Furthermore, the most recent GBNs and their impressive performance in precise bioimaging and efficient inhibition of brain tumors are also summarized, with an emphasis on the mechanism of their effective BBB penetration. Finally, the challenges and future outlook in using GBNs for brain cancer treatment are discussed. We hope that this review will spark researchers’ interest in constructing more powerful nanoplatforms for brain disease treatment.