Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Nanoparticle Delivery of an Oligonucleotide Payload in a Glioblastoma Multiforme Animal Model
Published on: September 27, 2024
Targeted drug delivery for treatment and imaging of glioblastoma multiforme
Jill M Stukel1, Michael R Caplan
1Arizona State University, Center for Interventional Biomaterials, Harrington Department of Bioengineering, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Abstract:
Glioblastoma multiforme is a grade IV astrocytic tumor with a very high mortality rate. Although current treatment often includes surgical resection, this rarely removes all primary tumor cells, so is usually followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. Remaining migratory tumor cells invade surrounding healthy tissue and contribute to secondary and tertiary tumor recurrence; therefore, despite significant research into glioma removal and treatment, prognosis remains poor. A variety of treatment modalities have been investigated to deliver drug to these cells, including systemic, diffusive and convection-enhanced delivery (CED). As systemic delivery is limited by molecules larger than approximately 500 Da being unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), therapeutic concentrations are difficult to attain; thus, localized delivery options relying on diffusion and CED have been used to circumvent the BBB. Although CED enables delivery to a greater volume of tissue than diffusive delivery alone, limitations still exist, requiring that these delivery strategies be improved. This review enumerates the strengths and weaknesses of these currently used strategies and details how predictive mathematical modeling can be used to aid investigators in optimizing these delivery modalities for clinical application.
Insights
Glioblastoma treatment faces challenges due to invasive tumor cells. This review explores drug delivery methods like convection-enhanced delivery (CED) and mathematical modeling to improve glioblastoma therapy outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with a poor prognosis.
- Surgical resection often leaves residual migratory cells, leading to recurrence.
- Current treatments like radiation and chemotherapy have limitations in eradicating invasive GBM cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current drug delivery strategies for glioblastoma.
- To evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of systemic, diffusive, and convection-enhanced delivery (CED).
- To highlight the role of mathematical modeling in optimizing drug delivery for GBM treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing drug delivery methods for glioblastoma.
- Analysis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limitations for systemic drug delivery.
- Examination of diffusion and CED techniques for localized drug delivery.
- Discussion of predictive mathematical modeling applications in optimizing delivery strategies.
Main Results:
- Systemic drug delivery is constrained by the BBB, limiting therapeutic efficacy for larger molecules.
- Diffusive and CED methods offer localized delivery but have inherent limitations.
- CED can deliver drugs to a larger tissue volume compared to diffusion alone.
- Mathematical modeling shows potential for enhancing the precision and effectiveness of drug delivery.
Conclusions:
- Improving drug delivery is crucial for better glioblastoma treatment outcomes.
- Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) and mathematical modeling are promising avenues for optimizing localized drug delivery.
- Further research and application of predictive modeling can refine therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma.
