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Published on: December 5, 2018
Exosomes: Promising Delivery Tools for Overcoming Blood-Brain Barrier and Glioblastoma Therapy
Seyyed Hossein Khatami1, Neda Karami2, Mortaza Taheri-Anganeh3
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
Gliomas make up virtually 80% of all lethal primary brain tumors and are categorized based on their cell of origin. Glioblastoma is an astrocytic tumor that has an inferior prognosis despite the ongoing advances in treatment modalities. One of the main reasons for this shortcoming is the presence of the blood-brain barrier and blood-brain tumor barrier. Novel invasive and non-invasive drug delivery strategies for glioblastoma have been developed to overcome both the intact blood-brain barrier and leverage the disrupted nature of the blood-brain tumor barrier to target cancer cells after resection-the first treatment stage of glioblastoma. Exosomes are among non-invasive drug delivery methods and have emerged as a natural drug delivery vehicle with high biological barrier penetrability. There are various exosome isolation methods from different origins, and the intended use of the exosomes and starting materials defines the choice of isolation technique. In the present review, we have given an overview of the structure of the blood-brain barrier and its disruption in glioblastoma. This review provided a comprehensive insight into novel passive and active drug delivery techniques to overcome the blood-brain barrier, emphasizing exosomes as an excellent emerging drug, gene, and effective molecule delivery vehicle used in glioblastoma therapy.
Insights
Glioblastoma treatment faces challenges due to the blood-brain barrier. Exosomes offer a promising non-invasive strategy for delivering drugs and genes, overcoming these barriers for effective glioblastoma therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Biotechnology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Gliomas, particularly glioblastoma, are aggressive primary brain tumors with poor prognoses.
- The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB) significantly impede effective glioblastoma treatment.
- Current therapeutic strategies struggle to overcome these biological barriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the structure and disruption of the BBB and BBTB in glioblastoma.
- To explore novel passive and active drug delivery strategies for glioblastoma.
- To highlight exosomes as a promising non-invasive delivery vehicle for glioblastoma therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on glioblastoma, BBB, BBTB, and drug delivery systems.
- Analysis of exosome structure, function, and isolation methods.
- Discussion of passive and active drug delivery techniques, focusing on exosomes.
Main Results:
- The BBB and BBTB present significant obstacles to glioblastoma treatment.
- Various invasive and non-invasive drug delivery methods are being developed.
- Exosomes demonstrate high biological barrier penetrability and are effective natural drug carriers.
- Exosome isolation techniques vary based on intended use and starting materials.
Conclusions:
- Exosomes represent a novel and effective non-invasive drug delivery vehicle for glioblastoma.
- Targeting glioblastoma therapy with exosomes can overcome BBB and BBTB challenges.
- Further research into exosome-based therapies holds significant potential for improving glioblastoma patient outcomes.
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