Stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms for central nervous system disorders: integrating delivery, modulation, and imaging.
Authors
Affiliations (3)
Affiliations (3)
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, P. R. China. [email protected].
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P. R. China.
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Nanocatalytic Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200331, China.
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms have been reforming the landscape of central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics by successfully crossing the blood-brain barrier to allow spatiotemporal control over therapeutic activation, while simultaneously providing measurable imaging readouts for real-time monitoring. This review presents the rational design of nanoplatforms responsive to key endogenous cues, especially redox, pH and enzymatic signals, and discusses the therapeutic effects of exogenous physical stimuli, including light, ultrasound, magnetic and electrical fields, operated <i>via</i> real-time feedback. Beyond passive drug delivery, these integrated systems are endowed with the capacity to actively sense the localized microenvironment and utilize specific molecular signals for structural imaging, thereby enabling clinicians to personalize both drug dosimetry and stimulation timing for optimized outputs. Finally, we discuss the practical steps toward clinical translation by analyzing current trials and regulatory hurdles, and highlight how artificial intelligence can predict structure-function relationships and improve imaging clarity. When paired with scalable manufacturing, these tools are expected to promote the translation of brain-adaptive designs into viable clinical therapies.