Joint China-US team develops new drug for aggressive brain cancer

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - In a significant scientific collaboration, researchers from China and the US have developed a potential treatment for glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer.

The study, published in Small Science journal, details how scientists from Renmin Hospital in Wuhan, China, and Yale University in the US created nanoparticles that can identify and attack tumor cells in mice. This promising development may pave the way for more effective treatments for glioblastoma, a cancer that has proven resistant to many therapies.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) poses a unique challenge to researchers due to the difficulty in delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier while effectively targeting cancer cells. However, the joint team’s innovation centers on a novel "phytochemical nanomaterial" called bardoxolone methyl, which forms spindle-shaped nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have demonstrated a remarkable ability to penetrate brain tumors in lab tests, providing a potential breakthrough in the fight against GBM.

The new drug disrupts specific molecular processes that contribute to the growth and survival of glioblastoma cells. With little progress made in glioblastoma treatment over recent decades, this discovery offers renewed hope for patients suffering from this highly lethal cancer.

Researchers believe this approach could significantly improve treatment outcomes for GBM patients, with further studies and clinical trials anticipated in the near future.