Ultrasmall solid lipid nanoparticles as a potential innovative delivery system for a drug combination against glioma

Introduction: High grade gliomas are characterized by a very poor prognosis due to fatal relapses after surgery. Current chemotherapy is only a palliative care, while potential drug candidates are limited by poor overcoming of the blood–brain barrier. Aims: A suitable chemotherapeutic approach should be engineered to overcome both the altered blood–brain barrier in the glioma site, as well as the intact one in the brain adjacent to tumor zone, and to target the multiple factors influencing glioma proliferation, differentiation, migration, and angiogenesis. Materials & methods: In this experimental research, ultrasmall solid lipid nanoparticles were prepared owing to the temperature phase inversion technology and loaded with a specific drug combination made of paclitaxel, regorafenib, and nanoceria. Results: Such solid lipid nanoparticles demonstrated capability to inhibit glioma cell proliferation and migration, as well as angiogenesis in vitro. Moreover, relevant in vivo evidence assessed the accumulation of solid lipid nanoparticles in the glioma site of the F98/Fischer rat model, without causing any off-target toxicity. Conclusions: Thus, promising results for glioma treatment were obtained with a technology characterized by safety and economy, allowing the perspective of successful scalability.