Abstract:

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are aggressive neurological diseases caused by abnormal proliferation and malignant transformation of neurons, glia or other related cells in the nervous system. Since the tumors are often located close to or have invaded into the critical parts of the CNS that are in charge of the vital functions of the body, conventional therapies normally give rise to only sub-optimal clinical outcomes and limited benefit to patients. Thus, it has become a major pressing scientific issue to develop a more effective therapeutic drug in the research field. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a type of adult stem cells that can self-renew and differentiate into neurons and glia. A large number of studies have shown that NSCs have a specific capability for directional migration to and invasion of nervous system-derived tumors, which can be employed as a tool to deliver anti-tumor drugs to the location of a lesion. This feature makes NSCs a promising candidate for biotherapy with good potential for clinical applications, and provides new ideas on the development of novel drugs against malignant CNS tumors.

Key words: Neural stem cells, Central nervous system tumors, Primary brain tumors, Glioblastoma multiforme, Drug delivery system