Stem cell in alternative treatments for brain tumors: potential for gene delivery

Abstract

Despite ongoing research efforts and attempts to bring new drugs into trial, the prognosis for brain tumors remains
poor. Patients with the most common and lethal intracranial neoplasia, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), have an
average survival of one year with combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy and temozolomide. One of the
main problems in the treatment of GBM is getting drugs across the blood brain barrier (BBB) efficiently. In an
attempt to solve this problem, there are ongoing experimental and clinical trials to deliver drugs within stem cells.
The purpose for this method is the ease by which stem cells home to the brain. This review discusses the
experimental and clinical applications of stem cells for GBM. We also discuss the different properties of stem cells.
This information is important to understand why one stem cell would be advantageous over another in cell
therapy. We provide an overview of the different drug delivery methods, gene-based treatments and cancer
vaccines for GBM, including the stem cell subset.