Overcoming brain barriers through surface-functionalized liposomes for glioblastoma therapy; current status, challenges and future perspective

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GB) originating from astrocytes is considered a grade IV astrocytoma tumor with severe consequences. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) offers a major obstacle in drug delivery to the brain to overcome GB. The current treatment options possess limited efficacy and maximal systemic toxic effects in GB therapy. Emerging techniques such as targeted drug delivery offer significant advantages, including enhanced drug delivery to the tumor site by overcoming the BBB. This review article focuses on the status of surface-modified lipid nanocarriers with functional ligands to efficiently traverse the BBB and improve brain targeting for successful GB treatment. The difficulties with surface-functionalized liposomes and potential future directions for opening up novel treatment options for GB are highlighted.