P20.02 Graphene in neurosurgery: a potential and innovative strategy in the treatment of cerebral gliomas

Gliomas account for around 45% of primary brain tumors. The treatment of malignant gliomas depend on the person’s age, the type of tumor, and the location of the tumor. These tumors tend to grow into the normal brain tissue, with the result that complete surgical removal can be very difficult to reach. Current therapy is unsatisfactory due to low therapeutic efficiency and strong systemic side effects of chemo- and/or radiotherapy protocols.The standard protocol includes maximal surgical resection with postoperative combination of radiation therapy with concomitant and adjuvant chemotherapy. Surgical treatment represents the first initial treatment. However, in spite of the recent innovations in surgical techniques, including intraoperative mapping, we only got a slight improvement of the prognosis. Additionally, radiation therapy is also used to treat gliomas in locations where surgery is not safe and for recurrent gliomas. Chemotherapy is recommended for some high-grade gliomas after surgery and radiation therapy. The presence of the blood-brain barrier impedes the passage of a large number of molecules into the brain. However, most of the current drugs show limited solubility, high toxicity and have a nonspecific delivery. Targeted drugs delivery systems can convey drugs more effectively and increase patient compliance. Recent advances in molecular and biological techniques have evidence new glioma-associated biomarkers and their implications for gliomas progression....
Source: Neuro-Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: P20 New developments in drug delivery Source Type: research