Developing Targeted Drug Delivery Systems for Brain Cancer Treatment Using Porous Silicon Nanoparticles

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest malignant adult brain cancers. The key challenges include the limited blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of the therapeutics, inadequate drug accumulation in the brain and high recurrence rate of GBM. This work evaluates porous silicon nanoparticles with different functionalisations as targeted drug delivery systems. They have a selective and enhanced cellular internalisation and deliver chemotherapy drugs through the BBB for GBM tumour killing. These nanoparticles can also inhibit GBM cell migration, even in the absence of drug loading. These highlight their potential as targeted anticancer drug carriers and migration inhibitors for GBM treatment.