Safety and Nanotoxicity Aspects of Nanomedicines for Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery

Nanotechnology for brain drug delivery comprises the promise for future possibilities of successful treatment in several central nervous system pathologies currently deficient in curative treatments, such as neurodegenerative disorders and malignant glioblastoma. Nevertheless, the neurotoxic effects exerted by several types of nanomaterials are the same as those involved in the pathology of neurodegeneration; thus it is important to have a deep knowledge of these mechanisms so that a proper approach can be taken into consideration. On the other hand, cancer cells usually respond differently to normal cells, being this characteristic a potential advantage for brain cancer therapy. In this chapter we analyze the mechanisms behind neurotoxic effects, from a multidisciplinary perspective, aiming to highlight the disadvantages of nanomaterials for the development of brain-targeted nanocarriers.Fil: Catalan Figueroa, Johanna Francesca. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Enfermedades Crónicas; ChileFil: Morales Montecinos, Javier Octavio. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Enfermedades Crónicas; Chile. Luleå University of Technology; Sueci