Thema: Presse: Sneaky compound kills brain cancer cells
Presse: Sneaky compound kills brain cancer cells
Kerstin[a]
04.09.2005 18:05:10
Sneaky compound kills brain cancer cells
United Press International
A compound that kills cancer can sneak past the blood brain barrier to do its work in fighting a particularly invasive brain cancer.
"The bottom line is, if you can get drugs into the brain, you can cure brain cancer," said Dr. William Banks of the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
The compound -- JV-1-36 -- is an antagonist of the hypothalamic growth hormone, which has been found to cause cancerous tumors, such as malignant glioblastomas, to grow.
Researchers found the blood brain barrier that usually keeps anti-cancer drugs out of the brain, intercepted some of the JV-1-36 that was injected into mice, but allowed much of it pass into the brain to treat cancer.
"The blood brain barrier is set up to very carefully patrol what it lets into the brain and what it keeps out. It makes these decisions based on the physicochemical properties," said Banks "Most of our drugs that fight cancers are toxic to cancer cells and to other cells, too. That´s why the blood brain barrier locks them out of the brain."
The findings appear in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
United Press International
A compound that kills cancer can sneak past the blood brain barrier to do its work in fighting a particularly invasive brain cancer.
"The bottom line is, if you can get drugs into the brain, you can cure brain cancer," said Dr. William Banks of the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
The compound -- JV-1-36 -- is an antagonist of the hypothalamic growth hormone, which has been found to cause cancerous tumors, such as malignant glioblastomas, to grow.
Researchers found the blood brain barrier that usually keeps anti-cancer drugs out of the brain, intercepted some of the JV-1-36 that was injected into mice, but allowed much of it pass into the brain to treat cancer.
"The blood brain barrier is set up to very carefully patrol what it lets into the brain and what it keeps out. It makes these decisions based on the physicochemical properties," said Banks "Most of our drugs that fight cancers are toxic to cancer cells and to other cells, too. That´s why the blood brain barrier locks them out of the brain."
The findings appear in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
Kerstin[a]
