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Scientists have come up with a new drug that can prevent the spread of glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.
The tissues of our body are largely made of liquid. It moves around the cells and is essential to the normal functioning of the body. But in some cases, this liquid can do more harm than good.
In people with glioblastoma, the pressure of this fluid is much higher, which makes it move quickly and forces the cancer cells to spread.
The drug AMD3100, which has already been used in clinics, has proven effective in stopping the inevitable spread of cancer cells, the researchers said.
"I hope that since the drug we used to block flow stimulation is currently being used by patients, clinicians might be able to associate this drug with drugs intended for convective delivery," he said. Lead author, Chase Cornelison, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the State University.
In the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team explored the flow of interstitial fluid – which surrounds the body's cells – during the spread of glioma cells.
Comprised of circulating cerebrospinal fluid, cellular waste and blood plasma, the interstitial fluid flow has already been associated with an increased rate of glioblastoma invasion, or brain tumor cells.
The researchers tested the drug AMD3100 and discovered that it could block the rapid movement of interstitial fluid from the brain and the spread of cancer cells.
They also tested the drug on mice with glioblastoma to determine how a particular approach to cancer treatment, called enhanced convective administration, caused invasion by glioma cells from the rest of the brain.
"Glioblastoma is deadly and the response to treatment has not changed for decades. Something needs to change … In terms of fluid flow, there may be an answer we have not seen, "added Jennifer Munson, Assistant Professor.
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First published: Nov 20, 2018 13:56 IST
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