Green nanomedicine: the path to the next generation of nanomaterials for diagnosing brain tumors and therapeutics?

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Current brain cancer treatments, based on radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are sometimes successful, but they are not free of drawbacks.

Areas covered: Traditional methods for the treatment of brain tumors are discussed here with new solutions presented, among which the application of nanotechnology has demonstrated promising results over the past decade. The traditional synthesis of nanostructures, which relies on the use of physicochemical methodologies are discussed, and their associated concerns in terms of environmental and health impact due to the production of toxic by-products, need for toxic catalysts, and their lack of biocompatibility are presented. An overview of the current situation for treating brain tumors using nanotechnological-based approaches is introduced, and some of the latest advances in the application of green nanomaterials (NMs) for the effective targeting of brain tumors are presented.

Expert opinion: Green nanotechnology is introduced as a potential solution to toxic NMs through the application of environmentally friendly and cost-effective protocols using living organisms and biomolecules. The current status of this field, such as those involving clinical trials, is included, and the possible limitations of green-NMs and potential ways to avoid those limitations are discussed so that the field can potentially evolve.

KEYWORDS:

• Blood brain barrier (BBB)
• brain tumor
• nanotechnology
• nanomedicine
• green synthesis
• nanoparticles (NPs)

Article highlights

• Nanostructured materials have shown promising results for brain tumor diagnosis and therapeutics.

• Green nanotechnology is introduced as a potential solution to overcome the toxicity problems associated with traditionally synthesized nanomaterials.

• Green nanomedicine employs environmentally friendly and cost-effective protocols using naturally-derived living organisms and biomolecules.

• Understanding of nano-bio interfaces and the interactions of nanomaterials with brain tumor cells is a vital step for brain cancer therapy and management.

• Green-synthesized nanomaterials still lack implantation into clinical trials.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Acronyms

Central nervous system (CNS); blood brain barrier (BBB); endothelial cells (ECs); tight junctions (TJs); pericytes (PCs); reactive oxygen species (ROS); multiple sclerosis (MS); Pinocytotic vesicle (PV); Capillary lumen (CL); Astrocytic end feet (AEF); Basement membrane (BM); Albumin (ALB); Intraendothelial cleft-open (IC); Fenestrated basement membrane (FBM); Cell membrane fenestrations (CMF); Vasogenic odema (VO); Extracellular compartment (ECC); glioblastoma multiforme (GBM); neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK); doxorubicin (DOX); interleukin-13 (IL-13); carbon nanotubes (CNTs); tetrahydrofurfuryl-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG-THFF); permeability and retention (EPR); magnetic resonance image (MRI); near infrared fluorescent (NIRF); hollow gold nanoparticles (HAuNPs); chlorotoxin (CTX); temozolomide (TMZ); cell-penetrating peptides (CCP); nanoshells (NS); Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs); Peptide-conjugated dendrimers (PCD); superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); gold nanospheres (HAuNs); photoacoustic tomography (PAT); photothermal ablation (PTA); nanomaterials (NMs); reticuloendothelial system (RES); arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD); Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH); Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense strain MSR-1 (DSM6361); glioblastoma Cellosaurus (GL-261); magnetotactic bacteria (MTB); Alzheimer’s disease (AD); Parkinson’s disease (PD); human hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2); human cervical cancer cells (Hela, SiHa); human embryonic kidney cells (HEK); gold (Au); silver (Ag); platinum (Pt); zinc oxide (ZnO); magnetite (Fe₃O₄); gold nanoclusters (AuNCs); hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂); nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH); human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG); paclitaxel (PTX); tumor-targeting aptamer (TTA); mitoxantrone (MTO); cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV); curcuminoid (Cur); chitosan hydrochloride (CSH); hyaluronic acid (HA); rat glioma cells (C6); pluronic F127 (PF127); N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC); docetaxel (DTX); d-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS); gold nanocage (AuNC); chitosan nanofiber (CNf); magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs); alternating magnetic field (AMF); carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC); copper high-aspect ratio structure (CuHARS); quantum dots (QDs); H-ferritin (HFn); bovine serum albumin (BSA); brain capillary endothelial cell (BCEC); vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); folic acid (FA); fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC); Silk fibroin (SF); indocyanine green (ICG); Nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs); DNA nanoparticles (DNA‐NPs); poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE); extracelluar matrix (ECM); focused ultrasound (FUS); RNA nanoparticle (RNP); 3-way-junction (3WJ).