Hazard effects of nanoparticles in central nervous system: Searching for biocompatible nanomaterials for drug delivery

Nanostructured materials are widely used in many applications of industry and biomedical fields. Nanoparticles emerges as potential pharmacological carriers that can be applied in the regenerative medicine, diagnosis and drug delivery. Different types of nanoparticles exhibit ability to cross the brain blood barrier (BBB) and accumulate in several brain areas. Then, efforts have been done to develop safer nanocarrier systems to treat disorders of central nervous system (CNS). However, several in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that nanoparticles of different materials exhibit a wide range of neurotoxic effects inducing neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. For this reason, polymeric nanoparticles arise as a promisor alternative due to their biocompatible and biodegradable properties. After an overview of CNS location and neurotoxic effects of translocated nanoparticles, this review addresses the use of polymeric nanoparticles to the treatment of neuroinfectious diseases, as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and meningitis. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.