An experimental drug being developed by scientists at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center can cross the blood-brain barrier, making it a promising novel treatment for deadly brain tumors.
OSU researchers conducted a laboratory and animal study with a nanovesicle drug called SapC-DOPS (saposin-C dioleoylphosphatidylserine) and found that the drug was effective at killing tumor cells and blocking the growth of tumor blood vessels in two brain tumor models. The nanovesicles--tiny, drug-carrying vehicles--fuse with tumor cells, causing them to self-destruct and die. The findings were published in a recent issue of the journal Molecular Therapy.
The findings suggest that, with further development, the drug could be a potential treatment for glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of brain tumor with an average survival rate of about 15 months. A combination of surgery followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy may increase the chances of survival.
One of the biggest obstacles for improving patient care is the blood-brain barrier, the wall of cells that make up the blood vessels in the brain. This barrier protects the brain from toxins in the blood but also blocks drugs in the bloodstream from getting to brain tumors. Few drugs have shown the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier to target tumor cells.
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