Application of chemotherapeutic drugs and convection-enhanced delivery technology in glioma.

Abstract

Gliomas are the most common primary intracranial malignant tumors of the central nervous system. The most popular clinical strategy for glioma treatment is maximum surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the therapeutic effect of this strategy is suboptimal; the prognosis remains poor, and relapse is common. Moreover, this strategy does not significantly improve the duration of patient survival, and a complete cure remains elusive. In preclinical studies, it is necessary to establish a stable and reliable glioma model in order to develop new treatments and chemotherapeutic drugs for glioma. Different cell lines have different biological characteristics. Thus, it is essential to select the most suitable glioma cell line for model development based on the purpose of the study. Understanding the different chemotherapeutic agents used in glioma treatment can provide a drug reference for convection-enhanced delivery and help in the development of new drugs for this tumor. Convection-enhanced delivery technology enables drug transport across the blood-brain barrier, enhances drug targeting, and reduces systemic toxicity. Therefore, it has great potential in the chemotherapeutic treatment of glioma. This review summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of different glioma cell lines as well as the current progress in different chemotherapeutic drugs and convection-enhanced delivery for gliomas. It lays the foundation for new treatment strategies and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of these chemotherapeutic agents and convection-enhanced delivery techniques in glioma treatment.