Novel delivery strategies for glioblastoma

Cancer J. 2012 Jan-Feb;18(1):89-99. doi: 10.1097/PPO.0b013e318244d8ae.

Abstract

Brain tumors--particularly glioblastoma multiforme--pose an important public health problem in the United States. Despite surgical and medical advances, the prognosis for patients with malignant gliomas remains grim: current therapy is insufficient with nearly universal recurrence. A major reason for this failure is the difficulty of delivering therapeutic agents to the brain: better delivery approaches are needed to improve treatment. In this article, we summarize recent progress in drug delivery to the brain, with an emphasis on convection-enhanced delivery of nanocarriers. We examine the potential of new delivery methods to permit novel drug- and gene-based therapies that target brain cancer stem cells and discuss the use of nanomaterials for imaging of tumors and drug delivery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Nanostructures / administration & dosage
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents