Designing and testing a molecularly targeted glioblastoma theranostic: experimental and computational studies
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: With an extremely poor patient prognosis glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumor with a median patient survival of less than 15 months. While new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches continue to emerge, the progress to reduce the mortality associated with the disease is insufficient. Thus, developing new methods having the potential to overcome problems that limit effective imaging and therapeutic efficacy in GBM is still a critical need. The overall goal of this research was therefore to develop targeted glioblastoma theranostics capable of imaging disease progression and simultaneously killing cancer cells. To achieve this, the state of the art of liposome based cancer theranostics are reviewed in detail and potential glioblastoma biomarkers for theranostic delivery are identified by querying different databases and by reviewing the literature. Then tumor targeting liposomes loaded with Gd3N@C80 and doxorubicin (DXR) are developed and tested in vitro. Finally, the stability of these formulations in different physiological salt solutions is evaluated using computational techniques including area per lipid, lipid interdigitaion, carbon-deuterium order parameter, radial distribution of ions as well as steered molecular dynamic simulations. In conclusion the experimental and computational studies of this dissertation demonstrated that DXR and Gd3N@C80-OH loaded and lactoferrin & transferrin dual-tagged, PEGylated liposomes might be potential drug and imaging agent delivery systems for GBM treatment.
Author: Getachew Ebuy Tedla
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3186789476