Advanced central nervous system (CNS) therapies exhibited high efficacy but complete treatment of CNS diseases remains challenging owing to limited delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. Multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles are investigated not only for site-specific drug delivery but also for theranostic applications aiming for an effective CNS therapy. Recently, surface engineering of magnetic nanoparticles was recognized as a crucial area of research to achieve precise therapy and imaging at molecular and cellular levels. This review reports state-of-the-art advancement in the development of surface-engineered magnetic nanoparticles targeting CNS diagnostics and therapies. The challenges and future prospects of magnetic theranostics are also discussed by considering the translation from bench to bedside. Successful translation of magnetic theranostics to the clinical setting will enable precise and efficient diagnostics and therapy to manage CNS diseases.

The ongoing progress in the development of hydrogel technology has led to the emergence of materials with unique features and applications in medicine. The innovations behind the invention of nanocomposite hydrogels include new approaches towards synthesizing and modifying the hydrogels using diverse nanofillers synergistically with conventional polymeric hydrogel matrices. The present review focuses on the unique features of various important nanofillers used to develop nanocomposite hydrogels and the ongoing development of newly hydrogel systems designed using these nanofillers. This article gives an insight in the advancement of nanocomposite hydrogels for nanomedicine.

Hydrogel-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) have versatile applications such, as tissue engineering, scaffolds, drug delivery, and regenerative medicines. The drawback of higher size and poor stability in such DDSs are being addressed by developing nano-sized hydrogel particles, known as nanogels, to achieve the desired biocompatibility and encapsulation efficiency for better efficacy than conventional bulk hydrogels. In this review, we describe advances in the development of nanogels and their promotion as nanocarriers to deliver therapeutic agents to the central nervous system (CNS). We also discuss the challenges, possible solutions, and future prospects for the use of nanogel-based DDSs for CNS therapies.

In spite of significant advancement in hydrogel technology, low mechanical strength and lack of electrical conductivity have limited their next-level biomedical applications for skeletal muscles, cardiac and neural cells. Host-guest chemistry based hybrid nanocomposites systems have gained attention as they completely overcome these pitfalls and generate bioscaffolds with tunable electrical and mechanical characteristics. In recent years, carbon nanotube (CNT)-based hybrid hydrogels have emerged as innovative candidates with diverse applications in regenerative medicines, tissue engineering, drug delivery devices, implantable devices, biosensing, and biorobotics. This article is an attempt to recapitulate the advancement in synthesis and characterization of hybrid hydrogels and provide deep insights toward their functioning and success as biomedical devices. The improved comparative performance and biocompatibility of CNT-hydrogels hybrids systems developed for targeted biomedical applications are addressed here. Recent updates toward diverse applications and limitations of CNT hybrid hydrogels is the strength of the review. This will provide a holistic approach toward understanding of CNT-based hydrogels and their applications in nanotheranostics.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are rapidly increasing globally. Currently used therapeutic agents to treat CNS diseases exhibit significant efficacy. However, the inability of these drugs to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and invasiveness of the technologies to achieve localized drug delivery in disease specific parts of the brain have thwarted pain-free and complete treatment of CNS diseases. Therefore, the safe, non-invasive, and targeted delivery of drugs to the brain using nanoparticles (NPs) is currently receiving considerable research attention. Here, we highlight advances in state-of-the-art personalized nanomedicine for the treatment of CNS diseases (with a focus on dementia), the related challenges, possible solutions, and prospects for nano-enabled personalized medicine.

The outcomes of our NIH-funded projects proposed that nanomedicine, developed using nanobioengineering/technology, can cross the BBB to eradicate brain HIV infection. Tunable efficacy features of nanomedicine allow their functional manipulation in personalized manner according to the patient disease profile requirement to achieve maximum therapeutics without causing side effects.

Introduction: Near-infrared ray (NIR)-responsive 'smart' nanoagents allow spatial and temporal control over the drug delivery process, noninvasively, without affecting healthy tissues and therefore they possess high potential for on-demand, targeted drug/gene delivery. Various NIR-responsive drug/gene delivery techniques are under investigation for peripheral disorders (especially for cancer). Nonetheless, their potential not been extensively examined for brain biomedical application.Areas covered: This review focuses on NIR-responsive characteristics of different NIR-nanobiophotonics-based nanoagents and associated drug delivery strategies. Together with their ongoing applications for peripheral drug delivery, we have highlighted the opportunities, challenges and possible solutions of NIR-nanobiophotonics for potential brain drug delivery.Expert opinion: NIR-nanobiophotonics can be considered superior among all photo-controlled drug/gene delivery approaches. Future work should focus on coupling NIR with biocompatible nanocarriers to determine the physiological compatibility of this approach. Their applications should be extended beyond the peripheral body region to brain region. Transient or intermittent NIR exposure strategies may be more accommodating for brain physiological ambience in order to minimize or avoid the possible deleterious thermal effect. In addition, while most studies are centered around the first NIR spectral window (700-1000 nm), the potential of second (1100-1350 nm) and third (1600-1870 nm) windows must be explored.