The role of blood-brain barrier permeability in brain tumor imaging and therapeutics

OBJECTIVE. Our purpose is to describe methods of assessing leakiness of the blood-brain barrier and explain mechanisms for exploiting the blood-brain barrier for therapeutic purposes. CONCLUSION. Knowledge of the workings of the blood-brain barrier is important for an understanding of the ways in which blood-brain barrier permeability may be used as a surrogate marker for drug therapeutic response. Manipulation of the blood-brain barrier may provide a means for selectively targeting tumors for drug delivery.