. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 11.

Published in final edited form as: AAPS PharmSciTech. 2021 Feb 11;22(2):71. doi: 10.1208/s12249-021-01928-9

Table I.

Advantages and disadvantages of NPs used for GBM treatment.

Advantages	Disadvantages
- Easily prepared ⁽²⁶⁾	- Scaling up can be problematic ⁽¹¹⁵⁾
- Readily modified for targeting ^{(103, 112, 119, 120)}	- Surfactant can cause toxicity ^{(117, 118)}
- Versatile vector for drugs, biological agents, and nucleic acids ^{(26, 103, 112, 119, 120)}	- Can result in unwanted drug distribution and accumulation in off-target tissues such as the liver and kidneys ⁽¹¹⁶⁾
- High therapeutic efficacy ^(121–123)	- Broad size distribution ^(112–114)
- Increases drug circulation half-life ^{(102,124–126)}	- Can be cytotoxic per se⁽⁹⁹⁾
- Allows for controlled release ⁽¹²⁷⁾
- Reduces drug-mediated toxicity ^{(113, 122)}
- Smaller size NPs can take advantage of the EPR effect which lends to its ability to accumulate in the tumor tissues ⁽¹²⁸⁾