Recent advancements in brain tumor targeting using magnetic nanoparticles

Transport of drugs through the blood-brain barrier to the brain and the toxic effects of drugs on the healthy cells can limit the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents. In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have received much attention as targeted therapeutic and diagnostic systems due to their simplicity, ease of preparation and ability to tailor their properties such as their composition, size, surface morphology, etc. for biomedical applications. MNPs are utilized in drug delivery, radio therapeutics, hyperthermia treatment, gene therapy, biotherapeutics and diagnostic imaging. The present review will address the challenges in brain tumor targeting and discuss the application and recent developments in brain tumor targeting using MNPs.