Targeted Chemotherapy of Glioblastoma Spheroids with an Iontronic Pump.

Successful treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most lethal tumor of the brain, is presently hampered by (i) the limits of safe surgical resection and (ii) "shielding" of residual tumor cells from promising chemotherapeutic drugs such as Gemcitabine (Gem) by the blood brain barrier (BBB). Here, the vastly greater GBM cell-killing potency of Gem compared to the gold standard temozolomide is confirmed, moreover, it shows neuronal cells to be at least 10-fold less sensitive to Gem than GBM cells. The study also demonstrates the potential of an electronically-driven organic ion pump ("GemIP") to achieve controlled, targeted Gem delivery to GBM cells.