Nanotechnology in neurosurgery: thinking small, dreaming big

Abstract

Nanotechnology has the power to transform neurosurgery by facilitating intervention at the cellular and subcellular level. The unique properties of nanomaterials will not only improve the management of conditions traditionally treated through neurosurgery, but also make neurosurgical intervention possible for diseases where there are currently limited treatment options. Specifically, nanotechnology appears to be a promising tool for improving molecular imaging, seamlessly integrating diagnosis and therapy in neuro-oncology, identifying targets for selective neuromodulation, as well as promoting neuroregeneration. Despite the vast potential benefits of nanotechnology in neurosurgery, problems related to neurotoxicity and the long-term medical and social consequences must be adequately addressed before nanotechnology becomes a component of surgical care.

Nano-Neurogenesis for CNS Diseases and Disorders

“…It is only fit to address the overview of nanotechnology and its applications in CNS regeneration, its targeting efficacy of cellular and extracellular targets. Unraveling the functioning of the CNS milieu and understanding the functioning of various molecules and pathways is not robust due to the severe complexity and intricacy of CNS neuronal network, and it poses a big challenge (Das et al, 2016;Kumar et al, 2017;Tan et al, 2017). Where the current available interventions lag in providing direct stimulation of neurogenesis, neuro-nanotechnology in medicine stands as one of the potent and promising tools to provide faster, more efficacious, and targeted aid in neurogenesis to contribute toward successful clinical trials of various available and potent therapeutics and pharmaceuticals.…”

The Future of Skull Base Surgery: A View Through Tinted Glasses

“…However, many issues remain in the practical applications of this advance, similar to other new drugs. 32…”

CdTe quantum dots trigger oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress‐induced apoptosis and autophagy in rat Schwann cell line RSC96

“…Functionalized QDs can be an excellent imaging tool for diagnosing neurological diseases. The superior optoelectronic properties of QDs allow them to be used to visualize, measure and track single molecules, and study and analyze dynamic molecular processes over longer periods of time, which are difficult to obtain with other organic fluorophores (Ashrafizadeh et al, 2020; Siddiqi et al, 2018; Tan et al, 2017). Therefore, QDs are ideal for replacing conventional fluorescent dyes for early neural tracking.…”