Tumor-targeted nanotherapeutics: overcoming treatment barriers for glioblastoma.

ABSTRACT: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and lethal form of primary brain cancer. Numerous barriers exist to the effective treatment of GBM including the tightly controlled interface between the bloodstream and central nervous system termed the 'neurovascular unit,' a narrow and tortuous tumor extracellular space containing a dense meshwork of proteins and glycosaminoglycans, and genomic heterogeneity and instability. A major goal of GBM therapy is achieving sustained drug delivery to glioma cells while minimizing toxicity to adjacent neurons and glia. Targeted nanotherapeutics have emerged as promising drug delivery systems with the potential to improve pharmacokinetic profiles and therapeutic efficacy. Some of the key cell surface molecules that have been identified as GBM targets inclu

SUBMITTER: Wadajkar AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5418115 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature