Endogenous vaults and bioengineered vault nanoparticles for treatment of glioblastomas: implications for future targeted therapies.

Endogenous vaults are ribonucleoproteins expressed throughout various cell types and across numerous species. Several central nervous system (CNS) tumors have been reported to exhibit high levels of major vault protein (MVP). The vault has been hypothesized to play a role in cellular transport. Although further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of endogenous vault function, these advances may enable the development of targeted therapies to prevent cancer cells from acquiring MVP-related drug resistance. In addition, they seem suited for use as nanocapsules for delivering various therapeutic agents and immunogenic proteins, representing a promising prospect for CNS tumor immunotherapy.