Abstract
Treatment of brain tumors with chemotherapy is limited mostly because of delivery impediments related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). For gliomas, the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy usually administered orally or intravenously. These routes do not deliver effective concentrations. To complicate matters, chemotherapy is usually a long treatment. Therefore, transient disruption of the BBB is likely insufficient to deliver effective intratumoral concentrations of anticancer drugs. This review briefly updates current strategies for overcoming the BBB with emphasis on their limitations and challenges intrinsic to the biology of cancer cells.
Keywords: Anticancer drugs, blood brain barrier, brain tumor, chemotherapy, gliomas.
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier for Chemotherapy: Limitations, Challenges and Rising Problems
Volume: 14 Issue: 8
Author(s): Zhaoye Wang, Hui Sun and Juan Sebastian Yakisich
Affiliation:
Keywords: Anticancer drugs, blood brain barrier, brain tumor, chemotherapy, gliomas.
Abstract: Treatment of brain tumors with chemotherapy is limited mostly because of delivery impediments related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). For gliomas, the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy usually administered orally or intravenously. These routes do not deliver effective concentrations. To complicate matters, chemotherapy is usually a long treatment. Therefore, transient disruption of the BBB is likely insufficient to deliver effective intratumoral concentrations of anticancer drugs. This review briefly updates current strategies for overcoming the BBB with emphasis on their limitations and challenges intrinsic to the biology of cancer cells.
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Cite this article as:
Wang Zhaoye, Sun Hui and Yakisich Sebastian Juan, Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier for Chemotherapy: Limitations, Challenges and Rising Problems, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2014; 14 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/18715206113139990029
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/18715206113139990029 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
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