Targeted Therapy for GBM
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I know at least two people who died of glioblastoma multiforme. One was a surgeon who presented with his first-ever seizure while inserting a pacemaker. A seizure in an adult is a tumor until proven otherwise. He was dead in a year. The other was a former partner who became symptomatic after retiring. He lasted 8 months.
Now, there's, perhaps, hope:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-nano-carrier-potential-treatment-glioblastomas.html
In an article published and featured on the cover of a January issue of Advanced Healthcare Materials, Majd reports a new glioma-targeted nano-therapeutic that will only address tumor cells offering increased effectiveness and reduced side effects.
An iron chelator known as Dp44mT (Di-2-pyridylketone-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone) is an effective medication known to inhibit the progression of tumors but had not been used against brain tumors prior to this study. The chelator works to pull out the overabundance of iron needed by cancer cells, thus starving them.
Using clues from the tumors themselves, Majd developed a Dp44mT-loaded nano-carrier that would be drawn to glioma tumors, which present many IL13 (Interluken) receptors. Because the IL13 receptors are abundant, she added IL13 ligands onto her FDA-approved biodegradable polymer carrier (with the Dp44mT inside) so the receptors would lure the ligands, thus receiving the medicine.
Prior to her new carrier, the Dp44mT drug would be administered, but could go anywhere in the body, even places it is not meant to go.
"It's like an envelope with no address on it. It can land anywhere, and with toxins inside it could kill anything. Now, with our targeted delivery, we put an address on the package and it goes directly to the cancer cells," said Majd.
Hopefully, this is another nail in the coffin of chemotherapy and radiation for cancers.
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Didn't apple have a glioblastoma?
