Khaberni - Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, in collaboration with colleagues from Northwestern University, have developed a non-surgical approach to treating one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer. Their technique uses precisely engineered structures assembled from nanoscale materials to deliver an effective anti-tumor drug to the brain via nasal droplets.
The new delivery method is less invasive than similar treatments under development and has proven effective in treating glioblastoma in mice by enhancing the brain's immune response.
According to "Medical Xpress", glioblastomas form from brain cells called astrocytes, and are the most common type of brain cancer, affecting about 3 in every 100,000 people in the United States.
Drug delivery to the brain
This type of tumor progresses very rapidly and is often fatal. There are no curative treatments for this disease, partly because drug delivery to the brain remains a significant challenge.
Dr. Alexander Stieg, a co-researcher in the study, said: "We wanted to change this reality and develop a non-surgical treatment that activates the immune response to attack glioblastoma."
Cold tumors
Glioblastomas are known as "cold tumors" because they do not stimulate the body's natural immune response like the so-called "hot tumors" that are more easily treated with immunotherapies.
The researchers have developed methods to stimulate an immune reaction against tumors by stimulating a pathway inside the cell, and when the cell detects foreign DNA, it activates the immune system to respond to this threat.
