Blood-brain barrier, cytotoxic chemotherapies and glioblastoma

Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumors in adults.

• The blood brain barrier (BBB) significantly limits the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs for GBM treatment.
• Most GBMs recur after initial treatment, partly due to tumor cells being shielded from chemotherapy by the intact BBB.
• The existing literature on how chemotherapeutic agents pass through the BBB is inconsistent and insufficiently documented.
• Strategies to enhance the delivery of drugs across the BBB are being investigated.
• Improved understanding of drug passage through the BBB may help in developing more effective treatments.

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