2023-05-01 17:53:38
Until now it is very difficult to recover from a brain tumor. Tumor cells almost always remain behind. But a new special hydrogel offers hope especially for glioblastoma patients, the deadliest and most common form of brain cancer.
The gel is applied to the brain immediately after the tumor has been removed to eradicate any remaining cancer cells. American researchers Johns Hopkins University tested the new treatment on a group of mice that had the aggressive brain tumor among their members. The results are astonishing: in none of the treated mice, the tumor has returned. That means a cure rate of 100 percent.
Injection with hydrogel
“Despite the technological advancements in our field, there is a great need for new treatment methods,” said lead researcher Honggang Cui. “We are convinced that this gel will be used in the treatment of brain tumors in the future. For example, the effectiveness of the treatment can be significantly improved by using the hydrogel in combination with surgery to remove the tumor.”
The researchers combined a known anticancer drug with an antibody in a liquid solution. When injected into the brain, it forms a gel that fills in the microscopic grooves left after the tumor has been removed. In this way, the hydrogel reaches areas infected with tumor cells that were missed during the operation. It appears that the new gel may be more effective at destroying cancer cells left behind and suppressing tumor growth than current medications.
immune response
How that works? The gel appears to induce an immune response in the mice against the glioblastoma cells. The body usually cannot activate this response on its own. The scientists put new tumor cells in the brains of the cured mice, after which the mice’s immune system defeated the cancer without the help of additional medication. The researchers therefore conclude that the gel not only ensures that remaining cancer cells are successfully fought, but also that the immunological memory of the mice is reprogrammed.
Operate first
Surgery is still needed to cure this type of brain cancer, the researchers say. If the gel is injected directly into the brain without removing the tumour, the chances of survival drop to 50 percent. “The operation relieves the pressure on the body’s ability to recover. This way, the gel has more time to activate the immune system so that the cancer cells can be destroyed,” explains Cui.
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy in one
The gel solution is full of nanowires consisting of paclitaxel, a drug that has been used for some time in the fight against breast and lung cancer, among other things. At the same time, these filaments ensure that the antibody aCD47 can reach its destination. The gel is applied evenly in the brain cavities where the risk of residual tumor cells is greatest and is able to gradually deliver this medication to the brain tissue over weeks. The antibody targets macrophages, which cause rapid tumor growth in glioblastomas. The promising treatment is in fact chemotherapy and immunotherapy in one. Normally it is very difficult to administer antibodies and anti-cancer drugs at the same time due to the molecular structure of the ingredients.
Time for clinical studies
“It has never happened that all the mice in a glioblastoma study survived,” said Professor Betty Tyler. “The idea that this new hydrogel will greatly improve the survival rates of glioblastoma patients is great. This revolutionary solution combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy and can be applied directly to the brain after surgical removal of the tumor. That’s why it works so effectively.”
Now it is high time for clinical studies in humans, but that is not so easy. “It is a challenge to translate this impressive laboratory result into well-conducted clinical trials so that we can offer people suffering from glioblastoma a better chance of a cure,” explains neurosurgeon Henry Brem. So there is still a long way to go, but the results of this study are very encouraging.
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