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Cerna et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2016;2:407-16 Journal of
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2015.95
Cancer Metastasis and Treatment

www.jcmtjournal.com
Review Open Access

Nanocarrier drugs in the treatment of brain
tumors

Tereza Cerna , Marie Stiborova , Vojtech Adam , Rene Kizek , Tomas Eckschlager 4
3
1,4
1
2
1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, CZ-128 40 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
2 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory metallomics and nanotechnology, Mendel University in Brno and Central European Institute of
Technology, Brno University of Technology, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
3 Department of Human Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho 1,
CZ 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
4 Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and University Hospital Motol, V Uvalu 84, CZ-150 06
Prague 5, Czech Republic.
Correspondence to: Prof. Tomas Eckschlager, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University,
and University Hospital Motol, V Uvalu 84, CZ-150 06 Prague 5, Czech Republic. E-mail: tomas.eckschlager@lfmotol.cuni.cz

How to cite this article: Cerna T, Stiborova M, Adam V, Kizek R, Eckschlager T. Nanocarrier drugs in the treatment of brain tumors. J Cancer
Metastasis Treat 2016;2:407-16.

Prof. Tomas Eckschlager, Deputy head for education, head of Laboratory of biology of solid tumors, works in
Department of Pediatric Heamatology and Oncology, 2nd Medical Faculty, Charles University and University
Hospital Motol. His main interests are: molecular biology and genetics of pediatric cancer; experimental
therapy of cancer and research of cancer cell chemoresistance; clinical pediatric oncology and late effects of
children cancer therapy.

ABSTRACT
Article history: Nanoparticle-mediated targeted delivery of drugs might significantly reduce the dosage
Received: 23-12-2015 and optimize their release properties, increase specificity and bioavailability, improve shelf
Accepted: 25-09-2016 life, and reduce toxicity. Some nanodrugs are able to overcome the blood-brain barrier that
Published: 31-10-2016 is an obstacle to treatment of brain tumors. Vessels in tumors have abnormal architecture
and are highly permeable; moreover, tumors also have poor lymphatic drainage, allowing
Key words: for accumulation of macromolecules greater than approximately 40 kDa within the tumor
Brain tumors, microenvironment. Nanoparticles exploit this feature, known as the enhanced permeability
nanoparticles, and retention effect, to target solid tumors. Active targeting, i.e. surface modification of
enhanced permeability and nanoparticles, is a way to decrease uptake in normal tissue and increase accumulation in
retention effect, a tumor, and it usually involves targeting surface membrane proteins that are upregulated
active targeting, in cancer cells. The targeting molecules are typically antibodies or their fragments;
blood-brain barrier aptamers; oligopeptides or small molecules. There are currently several FDA-approved
nanomedicines, but none approved for brain tumor therapy. This review, based both on the
study of literature and on the authors own experimental work describes a comprehensive
overview of preclinical and clinical research of nanodrugs in therapy of brain tumors.

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