Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains one of the most pressing public health challenges, leaving millions with lasting disabilities each year. When the brain suffers a sudden impact, from a fall, vehicle accident, or sports collision, it triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and nerve damage that continue long after the initial trauma. Despite decades of research, the traditional diagnosis and treatment strategies often face limitations such as poor detection and inefficient drug delivery.
In a recent study, a team of researchers led by Professor Yun Hak Kim from the Department of Anatomy and Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Republic of Korea, has summarized recent breakthroughs in theranostic nanomaterials, engineered nanoparticles that can both diagnose and treat TBI. The study was published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology on 29 October 2025.
This review highlights cutting-edge designs that can deliver drugs precisely where damage occurs, while simultaneously monitoring biological changes inside the brain. Theranostic nanomaterials work by combining two traditionally separate goals. On one hand, they can transport neuroprotective or anti-inflammatory drugs through the brain’s natural defenses; on the other, they act as sensors, revealing how tissue responds to treatment in real time. These materials can be tuned to react to biological cues such as acidity, oxidative stress, or enzyme activity, signals that are abundant in injured brain tissue.
“Theranostic nanomaterials hold great promise for real-world clinical applications in TBI management. These multifunctional nanoplatforms could enable personalized and minimally invasive treatment strategies by simultaneously diagnosing injury severity, delivering targeted therapeutics, and monitoring recovery in real time,” says Prof. Kim.
The review sheds light on various nanotherapeutic approaches, including PEGylated-polystyrene nanoparticles, porous silicon nanoparticles, carbon dot nanoparticles, dendrimer nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and siRNA-based nanoparticles, all of which have demonstrated enhanced neuroprotection and targeted drug delivery in TBIs. Among the technologies discussed, LNPs can target damaged tissue and release neuroprotective molecules with efficacy and carbon-dot nanozymes act like artificial enzymes to neutralize harmful reactive molecules.
In addition, nanosensors such as peptide-based, ECM-targeted, polymeric and fibrinogen-based, and biomarker-responsive can aid in real-time diagnosis and monitoring of TBI progression. Notably, recent advances aim at merging these nanotechnologies with artificial intelligence and bioengineering to create adaptive treatment systems.
“Safety and biocompatibility remain central challenges before clinical adoption. Hence, the rational design of nanomaterials that can safely degrade in response to changes in pH or enzyme activity can help reduce chronic accumulation risks and ensure safer long-term clinical applications,” says Prof. Kim.
Ultimately, the researchers believe these advances could revolutionize neurotrauma care, allowing doctors to diagnose TBI faster, deliver treatments more safely, and monitor recovery continuously. By merging diagnosis and therapy into a single, intelligent system, theranostic nanomaterials may usher in a new era of personalized brain medicine that offers patients better outcomes and renewed hope for recovery.
“Our study paves the way for development of customized, minimally invasive, and continuously monitored therapies, improving recovery outcomes and quality of life of patients with TBI,” concludes Prof. Kim.
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Reference
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-025-03685-4
About the Institute
Pusan National University, located in Busan, South Korea, was founded in 1946 and is now the No. 1 national university of South Korea in research and educational competency. The multi-campus university also has other smaller campuses in Yangsan, Miryang, and Ami. The university prides itself on the principles of truth, freedom, and service, and has approximately 30,000 students, 1200 professors, and 750 faculty members. The university is composed of 14 colleges (schools) and one independent division, with 103 departments in all.
Website: https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do
About the author
Dr. Yun Hak Kim is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Department of Biomedical Informatics at Pusan National University's (PNU) School of Medicine. He serves as the Head Professor in the Department of Convergence Medical Science at PNU. His group utilizes cutting-edge technology to understand the pathophysiology of diseases and to discover therapeutic targets. In addition, it handles both experiments and bioinformatics, employing a multiomics approach that includes single-cell transcriptomics, spatial omics, genomics, epigenomics, and microbiomics to unravel the causes of complex diseases.
Lab: https://yunhakkim.pusan.ac.kr/
ORCID id: 0000-0002-9796-8266
Author information
This study was conducted by co-first authors Nam Cheol Hwang (PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea) and Dr. Dong Min Lim (PhD, Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea). The co-corresponding authors are Dr. Shin Kim (Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea), Dr. Yun Hak Kim (Professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Biomedical Informatics, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Republic of Korea), and Dr. Dokyoung Kim (Associate Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Science, Precision Medicine, Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea).
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