Nanocarriers for the delivery of temozolomide in the treatment of glioblastoma: a review

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain cancer and presents high morbidity and mortality. Its classic treatment consists of a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy with temozolomide, an alkylating agent. However, in these aggressive tumors, this treatment is rarely succ...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Maria J. Ramalho (author)
Other Authors: Manuel Álvaro Coelho (author), Maria do Carmo Pereira (author)
Format: book
Language:eng
Published: 2017
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10216/116165
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:repositorio-aberto.up.pt:10216/116165
Description
Summary:Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain cancer and presents high morbidity and mortality. Its classic treatment consists of a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy with temozolomide, an alkylating agent. However, in these aggressive tumors, this treatment is rarely successfully curative, because of this tumor's high resistance to therapy and low drug bioavailability in tumor tissue, due to the inability of most molecules to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). To overcome the limitations of temozolomide therapy, new alternatives are necessary, as tumor cells-targeted approaches through the use of directed nanocarriers are able to be transported across the BBB and accumulate in the target tissue. Thus, this chapter is dedicated to providing a systematic review on the current progress in nanodelivery of temozolomide focusing on glioblastoma therapy.