Protein-based drug delivery in brain tumor therapy

Abstract

Despite the use of active surgeries, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in clinical practice, brain tumors are still a difficult health problem due to their rapid development and poor prognosis. To treat brain tumors, various nanoparticles can be used to target effective physiological conditions based on continuously changing vascular characteristics and microenvironments to promote effective brain tumor-targeting drug delivery. In addition, a brain tumor-targeting drug delivery system that increases drug accumulation in the brain tumor area and reduces toxicity in the normal brain and peripheral tissues is needed. However, the blood-brain barrier is a big obstacle for drug delivery to the brain. In this chapter, we provide a broad overview of brain drug delivery and current strategies over the last few years. In addition, several questions have been reconsidered, such as whether nanoparticles believed to be delivered to the brain can pass through the blood-brain barrier, whether the drug is delivered to the target site, and what brain tumor treatment is possible.