American scientists from the University of Miami have developed nanoparticles capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier and combating metastases of cancerous tumors in the brain. The corresponding study was published in the scientific journal PNAS.
Metastases in the brain mainly originate from primary tumors such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer, often accompanied by a poor prognosis. Treating such cases is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier, which restricts the passage of drugs into the central nervous system.
The new method utilizes nanoparticles made of biodegradable polymer, containing two drugs targeted at mitochondria in cancer cells. One of them, called Platinum-M, is a modified version of cisplatin—a chemotherapeutic agent that damages DNA in rapidly dividing cells. Another drug—Mito-DCA—affects mitochondrial protein kinase and inhibits glycolysis.
Preclinical studies have shown that the nanoparticles created are capable of reducing breast tumors and destroying cancer cells. The combination of nanoparticles and drugs proved to be non-toxic and significantly improved survival rates.