Paclitaxel Delivery to the Brain for Glioblastoma Treatment

Abstract

The development of paclitaxel-loaded polymeric nanoparticles for the treatment of brain tumors was investigated. Poly(lactide-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing 10% w/w paclitaxel with a particle size of 216 nm were administered through intranasal and intravenous routes to male Sprague–Dawley rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg. Both routes of administration showed appreciable accumulation of paclitaxel in brain tissue, liver, and kidney without any sign of toxicity. The anti-proliferative effect of the nanoparticles on glioblastoma tumor cells was comparable to that of free paclitaxel.

Keywords

• paclitaxel (PTX)
• poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)
• nanoparticles (NPs)
• brain delivery
• intranasal (IN)
• intravenous (IV)