Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Lipid Carriers as Smart Drug Delivery Systems in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant type of brain tumor. In fact, tumor recurrence usually appears a few months after surgical resection and chemotherapy, mainly due to many factors that make GBM treatment a real challenge, such as tumor location, heterogeneity, presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and others. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) represent the most promising carriers for therapeutics delivery into the central nervous system (CNS) owing to their inherent ability to cross the BBB. In this review, we present the main challenges in GBM treatment, a description of SLNs and NLCs and their valuable role as drug carriers in GBM treatment, and finally, a detailed description of all modification strategies that aim to change composition of SLNs and NLCs to enhance treatment outcomes. This includes modification of SLNs and NLCs to improve crossing the BBB, reduced GBM cell resistance, target GBM cells selectively minimizing side effects, and modification strategies to enhance SLNs and NLCs nose-to-brain delivery. Finally, future perspectives on their use are also be discussed, to provide insight about all strategies with SLNs and NLCs formulation that could result in drug delivery systems for GBM treatment with highly effective theraputic and minimum undesirable effects.

Keywords: glioblastoma multiforme; modification strategies; nanostructured lipid carriers; solid lipid nanoparticles.

Figure 1

Scheme representing the major challenges in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Figure 2

A schematic diagram of the structure of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the main obstacle for drug penetration into the brain.

Figure 3

Modification strategies of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to enhance GBM treatment.