Multifunctional Gold Nanoparticles in Spinal Cord Injury Theranostics: From Real-Time Imaging to Microenvironment Modulation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a clinical challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of neural tissues and the lack of therapeutics capable of simultaneously overcoming the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), resolving inflammatory microenvironment, and promoting axonal regeneration. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) emerge as a uniquely suited nano platform for SCI theranostics (integrated diagnosis and therapy), owing to their tunable surface chemistry for BSCB penetration, intrinsic optical properties for real-time imaging of lesion sites, and superior biocompatibility minimizing off-target toxicity compared to polymeric or metallic alternatives. This review describes the pathogenesis of spinal cord injuries and the potential applications of gold nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord injuries. It provides novel ideas for the application of gold nanoparticles to neurotraumatic diseases and is conducive to the promotion of multidisciplinary collaboration between materials scientists and neurologists.