Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Glioblastoma Therapy
Summary
Glioblastoma remains one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain tumours, with standard therapies limited by poor drug penetration across the blood–brain barrier and rapid tumour recurrence. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems offer a versatile platform to encapsulate chemotherapeutics, enhance their stability, and achieve targeted accumulation within glioblastoma tissue. Polymeric nanocarriers such as poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles permit sustained release of agents like temozolomide, while lipid-based vectors—including solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers—combine biocompatibility with tunable surface chemistry for receptor-mediated targeting. Functionalisation with peptides, antibodies or polyunsaturated fatty acids can improve transcytosis across endothelial barriers and homotypic recognition of tumour cells. Alternative delivery routes, for example nose-to-brain administration or convection-enhanced delivery, exploit anatomical pathways to bypass the blood–brain barrier and increase local drug concentration. Recent advances have also explored co-delivery of chemotherapeutics and gene-silencing agents to overcome intrinsic resistance mechanisms. Although most formulations remain at the preclinical stage, ongoing refinements in nanoparticle design promise to translate into more effective and less toxic treatments for glioblastoma.
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Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Glioblastoma Therapy publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for glioblastoma therapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Blood–brain barrier (BBB): a highly selective endothelial interface that restricts passage of most therapeutics from the bloodstream into the brain.
Poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA): a biodegradable copolymer widely used for formulating nanoparticles that allow controlled drug release.
Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs): lipid-based nanocarriers composed of solid and liquid lipids, designed to improve drug loading and stability.
Temozolomide (TMZ): an alkylating agent and standard chemotherapeutic for glioblastoma that is often encapsulated in nanoparticles to enhance delivery.
References
- Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Targeted Therapy. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024).
- Overcoming biological barriers BBB/BBTB by designing PUFA functionalised lipid-based nanocarriers for glioblastoma targeted therapy. Biomaterials Advances (2023).
- Nanoparticle Strategies to Improve the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs across the Blood–Brain Barrier to Treat Brain Tumors. Pharmaceutics (2023).
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