Radioimmunotherapy of glioblastoma multiforme - Current status and future prospects

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) or grade IV astrocytoma is the most diagnosed form of primary brain tumours in adults. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT), mostly in combination with conventional therapies, is presented in the current review as a therapeutic strategy of high potential in the management of GBM. A systematic literature search was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) to identify clinical studies that employed a form of radioimmunotherapy using alpha- or beta-emitting radioisotopes. The available literature on RIT in GBM and high-grade gliomas is presented and discussed. The results suggest that this promising treatment approach merits further investigation in future clinical studies.

Keywords: Alpha-emitting radioisotopes; Beta-emitting radioisotopes; Glioblastoma; Glioblastoma multiforme; High-grade glioma; Immunoconjugates; Radioimmunotherapy.