Targeted therapy for brain tumours

Although previously considered untreatable, brain tumours no longer carry the same prognosis as they did even a decade ago. Recent advances in drug delivery to the central nervous system have not only bypassed physiological constraints such as the blood - brain barrier, but have, in fact, changed the course of treatment for patients with malignant brain tumours. The creation of targeted therapies, which spare normal tissue and destroy tumour cells, is changing the field of neuro-oncology. In this article, we review recent developments in the delivery of drugs to tumours of the central nervous system, discuss current trends and directions in the development of novel drugs and delivery systems, and present new and cutting-edge strategies for overcoming the challenges ahead.