Nasal Drops Show Promise in Wholly Destroying Aggressive Brain Tumors
A novel treatment approach utilizing nasal drops has demonstrated the potential to completely destroy glioblastoma, the most commonโ and rapidly evolving form โofโฃ primary brain cancer, in preclinical studies. Developed collaboratively by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louisโค and Northwestern โฃUniversity โ(Illinois), the therapy leverages the power of theโค immune system to combat this โฃchallenging disease.
Glioblastoma tumors are often described as “cold” because they don’t naturally provoke a strong immune response, hindering the effectiveness of traditional immunotherapies. The new approach focuses on activating the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway โข- a crucial component of innate immunity. This pathwayโค is triggered when โcells detect โforeign DNA, initiating an immune โresponse through interferons and other signals designed to attack the threat.
Previous attempts to utilize drugs activating the STING pathway faced a meaningful hurdle: rapid breakdown โขof the โคdrugs requiring direct injection into the tumor, necessitating โinvasive and repeated interventions. To overcome this, researchers engineered spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) – a novel chemotherapy form where nucleic acids are encapsulated within spheres โคdesigned to โdeliver drugs directly โto cancer cells.
These SNAs proved more effective and stable within โคthe body, โขand crucially, can be administered as nasal drops.Real-time trackingโข revealed the SNAs travelโค along the trigeminal โฃnerve, โฃthe primary nerve pathway connecting facial structures to the brain, ultimately reaching the tumor site.The treatment triggered an immune response within the tumor and surrounding areas, with signs of activation also observed in nearby lymph nodes. Importantly, the particles exhibited limited spread beyond the targeted area, suggesting a reduction in potential adverse effects commonly associated with โขimmunostimulating therapies.
Remarkable results were achieved when the intranasal SNA therapy โwas combined with drugs designed to boost the activation of T lymphocytes – essential cells for cancer cellโข destruction. โInโ the study, tumors were completely destroyed โafter โขjustโ one or two administrations, and the treatment generated long-term immune protection.โ
Researchers emphasize that simply activating the STING โคpathway isn’t a complete solution,as cancerโข cells can suppressโค immune reactions. Therefore, combining this โapproach withโค therapies that stimulate T lymphocytes appears critical for treatment success. The findings representโ a significant step forward in the fight against glioblastoma, offering a possibly less invasive and moreโ effective treatment option.