Potential Role of Carbon Nanomaterials in the Treatment of Malignant Brain Gliomas

Abstract

Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults up to an extent of 78% of all primary malignant brain tumors. However, total surgical resection is almost unachievable due to the considerable infiltrative ability of glial cells. The efficacy of current multimodal therapeutic strategies is, furthermore, limited by the lack of specific therapies against malignant cells, and, therefore, the prognosis of these in patients is still very unfavorable. The limitations of conventional therapies, which may result from inefficient delivery of the therapeutic or contrast agent to brain tumors, are major reasons for this unsolved clinical problem. The major problem in brain drug delivery is the presence of the blood–brain barrier, which limits the delivery of many chemotherapeutic agents. Nanoparticles, thanks to their chemical configuration, are able to go through the blood–brain barrier carrying drugs or genes targeted against gliomas. Carbon nanomaterials show distinct properties including electronic properties, a penetrating capability on the cell membrane, high drug-loading and pH-dependent therapeutic unloading capacities, thermal properties, a large surface area, and easy modification with molecules, which render them as suitable candidates for deliver drugs. In this review, we will focus on the potential effectiveness of the use of carbon nanomaterials in the treatment of malignant gliomas and discuss the current progress of in vitro and in vivo researches of carbon nanomaterials-based drug delivery to brain.

Novel Tetrazole Derivatives Targeting Tubulin Endowed with Antiproliferative Activity against Glioblastoma Cells

“…1 H-NMR (400 MHz, CDCl 3 ): δ 2.44 (3H, s), 3.90 (3H, s), 6.60 (1H, dd, J = 0.9 Hz, J = 2.0 Hz), 7.14 (1H, dd, J = 2.0 Hz, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.15 (1H, d, J = 2 Hz), 7.24 (1H, s), 7.26 (1H, s), 7.46 (1H, d, J = 8.0 Hz), 7.65 (1H, d, J = 2.0 Hz). 13 5-(5-(2,6-bis(methylsulfanyl)pyridin-4-yl)-1H-tetrazol-1-yl)-1-methyl-1H-indole (11). Compound 11 was synthesized following the same methodology as compound 10, i.e., by using a solution consisting of compound 10 (560 mg, 1.6 mmol) in dry DMF (30 mL), sodium methanethiolate (224 mg, 3.20 mmol), and KOH (45 mg, 0.8 mmol).…”

“…The compound/stationary phase ratio was 1g of compound/50 g of silica gel. 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectra were recorded in CDCl 3 , CD 3 OD, DMSO-d 6 , or C 3 D 6 O using a Bruker SY spectrometer at 400/100 MHz or a Varian Mercury 400/100 MHz spectrometer. DEPT-135 and DEPT-90 spectra were recorded to identify the C, CH, CH 2 , and CH 3 signals (Figures S1-S16 in Supplementary Materials).…”

“…The difficulties associated with the removal of tumors together with the low efficiency of TMZ and the acquired resistance to alkylating agents, which is usually exhibited by malignant gliomas [ 9 , 10 ], involve a serious impediment in the treatment of these tumors, resulting in a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Despite efforts being made to develop new therapies for this kind of brain cancer [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], none of them have led to significant improvements in patient survival; therefore, the search for new targets, like tubulin, could open new roads in the treatment of GBM.…”

Advancements in the Application of Nanomedicine in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Therapeutic Perspective

“…However, their usage in humans is also constrained, mostly due to the beginning of toxic phenomena that impact the nerve cells and the onset of inflammatory and oxidative processes. The focus of the new research must now be on the hunt for novel, more useful target molecules while also using appropriate engineering to structure nanomaterials that are better suited for human use [ 120 ].…”

Ameliorating Effects of Graphene Oxide on Cadmium Accumulation and Eco-Physiological Characteristics in a Greening Hyperaccumulator (Lonicera japonica Thunb.)

“…Nanomaterials (NMs) with a series of superior performances have been widely used in medicine, mechanics, electronics, agriculture and the energy field [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. As one of the most attractive NMs with multiple forms, carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) with nano-sized and unique physico-chemical properties, including graphene oxide (GO), single-walled carbon nanotubes, multiple-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanoparticles and fullerenes, provoke tremendous scientific interest for nanotechnology development of a wide range of medical and industrial applications [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Among them, GO, as a novel CBN, presents the widest application duo to more fascinating properties, such as high surface area, good thermal stability, excellent mechanical strength, high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”