Abdel-Maksoud YT, Abdelhaseb AH, Abdo AAE, Kamel AM, Elsebay MT, Attia MS. Responsive mesoporous silica nanocarriers in glioma therapy: A step forward in overcoming biological barriers. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(9): 108731 [PMID: 41024832 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i9.108731]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Mohamed Salah Attia, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, University Street, Shaibet an Nakareyah, Zagazig 44519, Al-Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. mosalahnabet@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Ahmed Helmy Abdelhaseb, Amr Abd-Elraheem Abdo, Ahmed Mohamed Kamel, College of Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology, Giza 12566, Egypt
Mohamed Tallat Elsebay, Department of Pharmaceutics, Galala University, Suez 43511, As Suways, Egypt
Mohamed Salah Attia, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Al-Sharqia Governorate, Egypt
Author contributions: Attia MS conceived and designed the review, conducted the majority of the literature research and manuscript writing, and provided overall supervision of the project; Abdel-Maksoud YT contributed to drafting specific sections of the manuscript and figure preparation, and assisted with critical revisions; Abdelhaseb AH, Abdo AAE, and Kamel AM each contributed to the initial drafting of specific sections of the manuscript and assisted with data organization and editing; Elsebay MT supported manuscript consistency and refinement. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mohamed Salah Attia, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, University Street, Shaibet an Nakareyah, Zagazig 44519, Al-Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. mosalahnabet@gmail.com
Received: April 29, 2025 Revised: June 16, 2025 Accepted: August 12, 2025 Published online: September 24, 2025 Processing time: 147 Days and 22.7 Hours
Abstract
Gliomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system; among them, glioblastoma multiforme stands out as the most aggressive and lethal subtype, characterized by high therapeutic resistance and frequent recurrences. Glioblastoma’s complex pathology is driven by biological and molecular factors that compromise conventional therapies, including blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers, angiogenesis, immune evasion, and aberrant signaling pathways, along with genetic drivers of drug resistance. In cancer therapy, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have shown promise as nanocarriers thanks to the unique attributes of their mesostructure, including large surfaces, uniform pore sizes, high loading efficiency, and flexibility of chemical modifications. Several studies have proposed MSNs to address a number of challenges facing drug delivery in gliomas, including limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier, non-specific biodistribution, and systemic adverse reactions. Moreover, MSNs can be functionalized with tumor-targeting ligands so that cancer cells are selectively taken up, while they can also release therapeutic agents in response to internal and external stimuli, enabling controlled drug delivery within tumor microenvironments. Herein, we review the integration of the MSN-based delivery approach with advances in molecular oncology to improve clinical outcomes for glioma therapeutics, while highlighting the concerns around their limited clinical translation and potential toxicity.
Core Tip: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer a promising delivery platform for glioma treatment due to their large surface area, tunable pore sizes, and high drug-loading capacity. By functionalizing their surfaces with tumor-specific ligands, MSNs enhance targeted uptake by glioma cells, minimizing off-target toxicity. They can also respond to both endogenous (e.g., acidic pH, redox conditions) and exogenous (e.g., magnetic fields, ultrasound) stimuli for controlled, localized drug release. These properties enable MSNs to overcome blood-brain barrier challenges and improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects.
