Alaseem Ali M, Alrehaili Jihad Awadallah
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Med Oncol. 2025 Aug 19;42(10):431. doi: 10.1007/s12032-025-02984-y.
Pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors rank second among the fatal childhood malignancies, primarily due to the significant challenge posed by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which limits the therapeutic delivery and contributes to poor clinical outcomes. This challenge is exacerbated by the distinct developmental traits of pediatric BBB, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and the inherent diversity of different tumor types such as medulloblastoma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Recent advances at the crossroad of immunotherapy and nanomedicine are paving the way for transformative strategies to penetrate the BBB and modify the immunogenic landscape within pediatric CNS tumors. Various nanoparticle-based approaches such as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles to exosomes have been engineered with surface ligands like transferrin and lactoferrin to improve the BBB targeting in pediatric CNS tumors. Moreover, stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, such as pH- and enzyme-sensitive paradigms, are being implemented to enhance controlled drug release in the acidic and protease-rich TME. Additional, synergistic therapies that combine chemotherapeutics, immune checkpoint inhibitors, oncolytic viruses, and cancer vaccines are being adapted for pediatric patients, with enhanced drug delivery aided by nanocarrier formulations have led to significant tumor regression and prolonged survival in animal models. Additionally, tailored treatments utilizing genetic and pharmacokinetic biomarkers, along with innovative BBB-on-chip platforms, enable precise targeting and real-time monitoring of drug permeability across the barrier. In this review, we have emphasized that how a deeper understanding of pediatric BBB biology, targeted modulation of the barrier, and innovative nanotechnology-immunotherapy combinations is providing newer treatment modalities and less toxic therapies for children with CNS tumors.
小儿中枢神经系统(CNS)肿瘤在儿童致命性恶性肿瘤中排名第二,主要原因是血脑屏障(BBB)带来了重大挑战,它限制了治疗药物的递送并导致临床预后不佳。小儿血脑屏障的独特发育特征、免疫抑制性肿瘤微环境(TME)以及不同肿瘤类型(如髓母细胞瘤和弥漫性脑桥内在胶质瘤(DIPG))的固有多样性加剧了这一挑战。免疫疗法和纳米医学交叉领域的最新进展正在为穿透血脑屏障并改变小儿中枢神经系统肿瘤内免疫原性格局的变革性策略铺平道路。各种基于纳米颗粒的方法,如从脂质体和聚合物纳米颗粒到外泌体,都已通过转铁蛋白和乳铁蛋白等表面配体进行了工程设计,以改善小儿中枢神经系统肿瘤中的血脑屏障靶向性。此外,正在采用刺激响应性纳米载体,如pH和酶敏感模式,以增强在酸性和富含蛋白酶的肿瘤微环境中的药物控释。此外,将化疗药物、免疫检查点抑制剂、溶瘤病毒和癌症疫苗相结合的协同疗法正在应用于儿科患者,纳米载体制剂辅助下增强的药物递送已导致动物模型中肿瘤显著消退和生存期延长。此外,利用基因和药代动力学生物标志物的定制治疗以及创新的芯片上血脑屏障平台,能够精确靶向并实时监测药物跨屏障的渗透性。在本综述中,我们强调了对小儿血脑屏障生物学的更深入理解、对该屏障的靶向调节以及创新的纳米技术 - 免疫疗法组合如何为患有中枢神经系统肿瘤的儿童提供更新的治疗方式和毒性更低的疗法。
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