FIGURE 1.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the glioblastoma multiform (GBM) niche. The BBB is selective and restrictive to a variety of molecules. Endothelial cells and the basement membrane, together with strong lateral tight junctions, maintain the selective permeability. A possible strategy to reach the glioma core is to use nanocarriers coupled with target guiding molecules that, for example, bind to the membrane receptors of both tumor niche infiltrated BBB or healthy BBB, and which carry nanomedicines. Glioblastoma is composed of heterogeneous cell populations and the cancer stem cells are responsible for treatment resistance.