Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults and carries a dismal prognosis despite advancements in treatment. Diffuse tumor infiltration precludes curative surgical resection and necessitates advancements in drug delivery mechanisms. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) enables continuous local drug delivery for a diverse population of antitumor agents. Importantly, CED circumvents therapeutic challenges posed by the blood-brain barrier by facilitating concentrated local therapeutic drug delivery with limited systemic effects. Here, we present a concise review of properties essential for safe and efficient convection-enhanced drug delivery, as well as a focused review of clinical studies evaluating CED in the treatment of glioblastoma.
Keywords: convection-enhanced delivery; glioblastoma; glioma; high-grade glioma; targeted delivery of therapeutics for glioblastoma.