The Blood-Brain Barrier: the frontier to cross
The BBB is one of the most selective biological structures in the human body. Discover how nanotechnologies bypass it to bring drugs exactly where needed.
Explore how structures a thousand times smaller than a human hair are revolutionizing the understanding and treatment of the nervous system.
The BBB is one of the most selective biological structures in the human body. Discover how nanotechnologies bypass it to bring drugs exactly where needed.
How specialized nanoparticles navigate the brain's most formidable biological defense to deliver therapeutics exactly where needed.
After COVID vaccine success, researchers are adapting lipid nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic nucleic acids directly to neurons in the CNS.
Iron oxide nanoparticles guided by an external magnetic field generate precise local heat that selectively destroys glioblastoma cells.
Next-generation BCIs use nanostructured electrodes to communicate with neurons more precisely and durably than silicon ever could.
CNTs offer unprecedented electrical conductivity and biocompatibility for recording and stimulating individual neurons — a leap beyond silicon.
Autonomous devices at virus scale could theoretically repair damaged neurons. We map the science, the hurdles, and the timeline.
Amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and neuroinflammation: targeted nanoparticles could tackle all three simultaneously, opening a new therapeutic era.
New nanoscale contrast agents push brain imaging beyond the limits of conventional MRI and PET, revealing structures never visualized before.
When technologies become part of our nervous system, questions about identity, privacy, and equitable access arise. A necessary debate.
A nanoparticle is between 1 and 100 nm. A human hair is ~80,000 nm wide. At this scale, physics and chemistry behave in radically different ways.
At 1–100 nanometers, materials exhibit entirely new properties. Gold turns red. Carbon becomes stronger than steel. Drugs cross barriers otherwise impenetrable.
A highly selective membrane formed by specialized endothelial cells. It protects the brain — but also blocks most drugs. Nanotechnology's primary challenge and greatest opportunity.
Richard Feynman delivers "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," imagining manipulation of matter at the atomic scale for the first time.
Binnig and Rohrer invent the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Individual atoms can be visualized for the first time. Modern nanoscience is born.
Doxil — a liposome loaded with doxorubicin — becomes the first FDA-approved nanoparticle drug. The era of nanomedicine begins.
Studies show polysorbate-80-coated polymer nanoparticles cross the BBB in animal models, opening the path to cerebral drug delivery.
President Obama launches the BRAIN Initiative with billion-dollar funding to map the brain. Nanotechnologies are key tools for new sensors and neural interfaces.
After COVID-19 vaccine success, researchers adapt lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for therapeutic mRNA delivery to the central nervous system.
Research aims at autonomous systems capable of in-situ diagnosis and treatment of brain pathologies. Some projections target 2040–2050.
An essential dictionary to navigate the world of neurological nanotechnologies.
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