Nanomedicine in Clinical Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Brain Tumors

Biomedicines

Hyung Shik Kim¹  Dong Yun Lee¹ 

[1] Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea;

关键词: glioblastoma multiform (GBM);    photodynamic therapy (PDT);    photosensitizer (PS);    reactive oxygen species (ROS);    surgical resection;    radiotherapy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biomedicines10010096

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The current treatment for malignant brain tumors includes surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the survival rate for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with a high grade of malignancy is less than one year. From a clinical point of view, effective treatment of GBM is limited by several challenges. First, the anatomical complexity of the brain influences the extent of resection because a fine balance must be struck between maximal removal of malignant tissue and minimal surgical risk. Second, the central nervous system has a distinct microenvironment that is protected by the blood–brain barrier, restricting systemically delivered drugs from accessing the brain. Additionally, GBM is characterized by high intra-tumor and inter-tumor heterogeneity at cellular and histological levels. This peculiarity of GBM-constituent tissues induces different responses to therapeutic agents, leading to failure of targeted therapies. Unlike surgical resection and radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) can treat micro-invasive areas while protecting sensitive brain regions. PDT involves photoactivation of photosensitizers (PSs) that are selectively incorporated into tumor cells. Photo-irradiation activates the PS by transfer of energy, resulting in production of reactive oxygen species to induce cell death. Clinical outcomes of PDT-treated GBM can be advanced in terms of nanomedicine. This review discusses clinical PDT applications of nanomedicine for the treatment of GBM.

【 授权许可】

Unknown