Drug Delivery Applications of Nanoparticles in the Spine

Nanoparticles offer several applications in the field of medicine such as targeted drug delivery, controlled drug release, and imaging applications. The central nervous system (CNS), in particular, has remained a challenge for drug delivery. This is mainly due to barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), which hinder drug molecules from reaching the brain and spinal cord tissue. Although researchers have mainly focused on applying nanotechnology in the brain, there is an increase in applications of nanomaterials in the spine as well. This chapter focuses on the potential of nanomedicine for medical applications in the spine, including unique drug delivery systems and gene therapy applications, and for enhancement of medical imaging. We look at the problems and recent advances in the development of nanoparticles for spine-related applications and provide a comprehensive review on recent research work.