Solid lipid nanoparticles based drug delivery for targeting brain tumors

Cancers are one of the leading causes of death, and brain tumors are among the most devastating as well as challenging diseases to treat with promising results to achieve a better quality of life. Drug delivery to the brain is difficult owing to the presence of several physiological factors. Currently, the treatment regimen involves the use of surgery, chemotherapeutic agents, and radiotherapy, which tend to elicit severe side effects and reduce the quality of life for patients. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising tool owing to its multifaceted properties enabling and ensuring better and specific delivery of the drugs at the site of action without impacting healthy cells. Among the plethora of nanoparticles available, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are regarded as a versatile carrier system owing to biocompatibility, cost effective production, ease of conjugation, and small size, and hence has attracted researchers to utilize this carrier system in the delivery of active ingredients to brain tumors. This chapter emphasizes and throws light on the importance of SLNs in the treatment of brain tumors. A brief discussion on the formulation aspects and evaluations parameters of SLNs with their appropriate application in treatment of brain tumors is brought into focus.