Nanoparticle-loaded chemotherapy crosses blood-brain barrier in mice after glioblastoma surgery, study shows

Researchers at the University of Manchester have demonstrated that a standard chemotherapy drug can reach the brain when packaged in liposome nanoparticles and given shortly after tumor removal in mice.

The drug, doxorubicin, which normally cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, was administered as early as 15 minutes after surgical resection of glioblastoma. Imaging showed the drug remained at the tumor margin for up to 72 hours.

The authors say the rapid recurrence of glioblastoma after surgery makes it a prime candidate for such targeted delivery approaches. The findings, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest a low-tech nanomedicine strategy could improve post-surgical control of this deadly tumor.