A Systematic Review of Nanoparticle-Mediated Ferroptosis in Glioma Therapy.

Abstract

Glioma, a highly malignant central nervous system tumor, exhibits aggressive invasiveness, extensive infiltration, and poor prognosis. Conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are hindered by limitations including the inability to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB), drug resistance, and high recurrence rates. Ferroptosis induced by nanoparticle-based systems offers an innovative strategy for glioma therapy by efficiently traversing the BBB, precisely delivering ferroptosis inducers, enhancing tumor accumulation, and enabling stimuli-responsive drug release. These features collectively improve the induction efficiency of ferroptosis in glioma cells. Various nanoplatforms, including inorganic nanoparticles, biomimetic carriers, and polymer-based systems, have demonstrated potential in crossing the BBB, inducing ferroptosis, and suppressing glioma progression. These systems enhance reactive oxygen species generation, deplete glutathione, and disrupt tumor microenvironment defense mechanisms, achieving synergistic therapeutic effects. The integration of ferroptosis with nanotechnology is emerging as a promising, non-invasive strategy for the treatment of gliomas, offering substantial therapeutic potential.