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Recent advances in drug delivery systems for targeting brain tumors
Yi Zhao1, Ping Yue1,2, Yao Peng3
1Department of Translational Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Abstract:
Brain tumor accounts for about 1.6% of incidence and 2.5% of mortality of all tumors, and the median survival for brain tumor patients is only about 20 months. The treatment for brain tumor still faces many challenges, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB), the overexpressed efflux pumps, the infiltration, invasion, high heterogeneity of tumor cells, drug resistance and immune escape caused by tumor microenvironment (TME) and cancer stem cells (CSC). This review attempts to clarify the challenges for multi-functional nano drug delivery systems (NDDS) to cross the BBB and target the cancer cells or organelles, and also provides a brief description of the different types of targeted multi-functional NDDS that have shown potential for success in delivering drugs to the brain. Further, this review also summarizes the research progress of multi-functional NDDS in the combination therapy of brain tumors from the following sections, the combination of chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy-chemodynamic combination therapy, chemotherapy-immunization combination therapy, and chemotherapy-gene combination therapy. We also provide an insight into the recent advances in designing multi-functional NDDS for combination therapy.
Insights
This review explores challenges and advancements in multi-functional nano drug delivery systems (NDDS) for brain tumor treatment, focusing on overcoming barriers and enhancing combination therapies for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Nanomedicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Brain tumors present significant treatment challenges, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), drug resistance, and tumor heterogeneity, leading to poor patient survival rates.
- Existing therapies struggle to effectively target brain tumor cells due to biological barriers and complex tumor microenvironments (TME).
Approach:
- This review examines multi-functional nano drug delivery systems (NDDS) designed to overcome the BBB and target brain cancer cells.
- It details various NDDS strategies for delivering therapeutic agents across the BBB and into tumor sites.
- The review synthesizes research on NDDS for combination therapies, including chemotherapy, chemodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy.
Key Points:
- Multi-functional NDDS show promise in addressing challenges like the BBB, efflux pumps, and tumor heterogeneity.
- Combination therapies utilizing NDDS, such as chemotherapy combined with other modalities, are being explored to enhance treatment efficacy.
- Targeted NDDS offer potential for improved drug delivery and therapeutic outcomes in brain tumor treatment.
Conclusions:
- Advancements in multi-functional NDDS are crucial for overcoming the limitations of current brain tumor treatments.
- Designing sophisticated NDDS is key to enabling effective combination therapies for brain tumors.
- Further research into NDDS holds significant potential for improving survival and treatment efficacy for brain tumor patients.
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