Nanotechnologies for the study of the central nervous system

•Description of novel nanotechnologies to deliver a translational bridge between basic and clinical neuroscience research.•Evaluation of novel in vitro and in vivo nanodiagnostic tools for neuroimaging and the study of structural/functional plasticity.•Novel approaches to modelling central nervous system development through recent advances in nano-modified array technologies to study functional circuit physiology.

The impact of central nervous system (CNS) disorders on the human population is significant, contributing almost €800 billion in annual European healthcare costs. These disorders not only have a disabling social impact but also a crippling economic drain on resources. Developing novel therapeutic strategies for these disorders requires a better understanding of events that underlie mechanisms of neural circuit physiology. Studying the relationship between genetic expression, synapse development and circuit physiology in CNS function is a challenging task, involving simultaneous analysis of multiple parameters and the convergence of several disciplines and technological approaches. However, current gold-standard techniques used to study the CNS have limitations that pose unique challenges to furthering our understanding of functional CNS development.The recent advancement in nanotechnologies for biomedical applications has seen the emergence of nanoscience as a key enabling technology for delivering a translational bridge between basic and clinical research. In particular, the development of neuroimaging and electrophysiology tools to identify the aetiology and progression of CNS disorders have led to new insights in our understanding of CNS physiology and the development of novel diagnostic modalities for therapeutic intervention. This review focuses on the latest applications of these nanotechnologies for investigating CNS function and the improved diagnosis of CNS disorders.

Graphical abstractOverview of nanotechnologies in the brain illustrating potential for use in the study and diagnosis of central nervous system function.Download high-res image (300KB)Download full-size image