Drug delivery to brain tumors.
A prerequisite for the efficacy of any cancer drug is that it reaches the tumor in therapeutic concentrations. This is difficult to accomplish in most systemic solid tumors because of factors such as variable hypoxia, intratumoral pressure gradients, and abnormal vasculature within the tumors. In brain cancer, the situation is complicated by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, which serve as physical and physiologic obstacles for delivery of drugs to the central nervous system. Many approaches to overcome, circumvent, disrupt, or manipulate the BBB to enhance delivery of drugs to brain tumors have been devised and are in active investigation. These approaches include high-dose intravenous chemotherapy, intra-arterial drug delivery, local drug delivery via implanted polymers or catheters, BBB disruption, and biochemical modulation of drugs.
Blakeley
Jaishri
J
Johns Hopkins University, Cancer Research Building II, Suite 1M16, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. jblakel3@jhmi.edu
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents