Nanomedicine and immunotherapy : a step further towards precision medicine for glioblastoma

Šamec, Neja (author), Zottel, Alja (author), Videtič Paska, Alja (author), Jovchevska, Ivana (author)

Owing to the advancement of technology combined with our deeper knowledge of human nature and diseases, we are able to move towards precision medicine, where patients are treated at the individual level in concordance with their genetic profiles. Lately, the integration of nanoparticles in biotechnology and their applications in medicine has allowed us to diagnose and treat disease better and more precisely. As a model disease, we used a grade IV malignant brain tumor (glioblastoma). Significant improvements in diagnosis were achieved with the application of fluorescent nanoparticles for intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allowing for improved tumor cell visibility and increasing the extent of the surgical resection, leading to better patient response. Fluorescent probes can be engineered to be activated through different molecular pathways, which will open the path to individualized glioblastoma diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. Nanoparticles are also extensively studied as nanovehicles for targeted delivery and more controlled medication release, and some nanomedicines are already in early phases of clinical trials. Moreover, sampling biological fluids will give new insights into glioblastoma pathogenesis due to the presence of extracellular vesicles, circulating tumor cells, and circulating tumor DNA. As current glioblastoma therapy does not provide good quality of life for patients, other approaches such as immunotherapy are explored. To conclude, we reason that development of personalized therapies based on a patient’s genetic signature combined with pharmacogenomics and immunogenomic information will significantly change the outcome of glioblastoma patients.

• Language: English
• Keywords: glioblastoma, extracellular vesicles, nanoscience, cell free DNA, circulating tumor DNA, liquid biopsy, immunotherapy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 33 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 25, iss. 3, art. 490
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-133241
• UDC: 577
• ISSN on article: 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030490
• COBISS.SI-ID: 34662361
• Publication date in RUL: 18.11.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Molecules
• Shortened title: Molecules
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1420-3049
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18462981

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.02.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: glioblastom, zunajcelični vezikli, nanoznanost