Blood–Brain Barrier Conquest in Glioblastoma Nanomedicine: Strategies, Clinical Advances, and Emerging Challenges
by
, ,
Mengyun Duan
1,†,
Ruina Cao
2,†,
Yuan Yang
3,
Xiaoguang Chen
1,
Lian Liu
4,
Boxu Ren
1,*,
Lingzhi Wang
5,6,7,* and 
Boon-Cher Goh
5,6,7,8 1
Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
2
Department of Anesthesiology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430070, China
3
Department of Radiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
4
Department of Pharmacology, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
5
NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
6
Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore
7
Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
8
Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore 119228, Singapore
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Cancers 2024, 16(19), 3300; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16193300
Submission received: 2 September 2024
/
Revised: 24 September 2024
/
Accepted: 24 September 2024
/
Published: 27 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Paper in Section “Cancer Therapy” in 2024)
Simple Summary
Glioblastoma (GBM), a serious brain cancer, has poor treatment outcomes despite surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) makes GBM-targeted drug delivery difficult. Recent studies have shown that nanomedicine delivery systems (NDDSs) can target GBM safely and effectively. In this review, we look at ways to overcome the BBB with NDDSs in preclinical studies, summarize the clinical progress, and discuss strategies to improve NDDSs and speed up their use in GBM treatment through clinical trials.
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a prevalent type of malignancy within the central nervous system (CNS) that is associated with a poor prognosis. The standard treatment for GBM includes the surgical resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy; yet, despite these interventions, overall treatment outcomes remain suboptimal. The blood–brain barrier (BBB), which plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of brain tissue under normal physiological conditions of the CNS, also poses a significant obstacle to the effective delivery of therapeutic agents to GBMs. Recent preclinical studies have demonstrated that nanomedicine delivery systems (NDDSs) offer promising results, demonstrating both effective GBM targeting and safety, thereby presenting a potential solution for targeted drug delivery. In this review, we first explore the various strategies employed in preclinical studies to overcome the BBB for drug delivery. Subsequently, the results of the clinical translation of NDDSs are summarized, highlighting the progress made. Finally, we discuss potential strategies for advancing the development of NDDSs and accelerating their translational research through well-designed clinical trials in GBM therapy.
