H.S. Sharma (Ed.) Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 180 ISSN: 0079-6123 Copyright Ó 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 9 Nanoparticles influence pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and repair Hari Shanker Sharma 1,Ã , Dafin F Muresanu 2 , Aruna Sharma 1 , Ranjana Patnaik 3 and Jos e Vicente Lafuente 4 1 Laboratory of Cerebrovascular and Pain Research, Department of Surgical Sciences, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden 2 Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu,” Cluj-Napoca, Romania 3 Department of Biomaterials, School of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India 4 Lab Neurociencias Cl´ ınicas y Experimentales (LaNCE), Dpto. de Neurociencias, Universidad del Pa´ ıs Vasco – EuskalHerriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, España Abstract: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious clinical problem for which no suitable therapeutic strategies have been worked out so far. Recent studies suggest that the SCI and its pathophysiological responses could be altered by systemic exposure to nanoparticles. Thus, SCI when made in animals intoxicated with engineered nanoparticles from metals or silica dust worsened the outcome. On the other hand, drugs tagged with titanium (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles or encapsulated in liposomes could enhance their neuroprotective efficacy following SCI. Thus, to expand our knowledge on nanoparticle-induced alterations in the spinal cord pathophysiology further research is needed. These investigations will help to develop new strategies to achieve neuroprotection in SCI, for example, using nanodrug delivery. New results from our laboratory showed that nanoparticle- induced exacerbation of cord pathology following trauma can be reduced when the suitable drugs tagged with TiO 2 nanowires were administered into the spinal cord as compared to those drugs given alone. This indicates that nanoparticles depending on the exposure and its usage could induce both neurotoxicity and neuroprotection. This chapter discusses the potential adverse or therapeutic utilities of nanoparticles in SCI largely based on our own investigations. In addition, possible mechanisms of nanoparticle-induced exacerbation of cord pathology or enhanced neuroprotection following nanodrug delivery is described in the light of recently available data in this rapidly emerging field of nanoneurosciences. Keywords: nanoparticles; spinal cord injury; nanodrug delivery; blood–spinal cord barrier; spinal cord edema; cord pathology 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Ã Corresponding author. AU1 Tel.: þ46-18-243899; Fax: þ46-18-243899; E-mail: Sharma@surgsci.uu.se Font: TimesTenLTStd Size:10/12pt Margins:Top:22mm Gutter:16mm T.Area:160mm×200.5mm 1 Color Lines: 48 Fresh Recto India PBR-180 Chapter 9 28-10-2009 17:50 Page: 147 Trim: 192mmÂ262mm Floats: Top/Bottom TS: Integra, India DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)80009-X 147