Stem Cell Therapy for Brain Tumors

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and lethal brain cancer, prognosis remains bleak with a median survival of about 15 months despite maximal surgical resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide treatment. The difficulty associated with safely and effectively delivering therapeutics across the blood brain barrier (BBB) is a major challenge towards GBM treatment. Ongoing research and clinical trials, including attempts to deliver therapeutics within stem cells present possible solutions. The relationships between brain cancer pathology, stem cell properties, therapeutic advantages and disadvantages of various stem cell types, drug delivery methods, cancer stem cells, gene therapy, anti-cancer vaccines, chimeric antigen receptor therapies, and combination therapies are discussed.