Researchers have developed a vitamin B12-based compound that can cross the blood-brain barrier and concentrate inside aggressive brain tumors, offering a possible new route to treat glioblastoma, one of the deadliest cancers.
In animal models of brain cancer, the compound preferentially accumulated in tumor tissue rather than healthy brain cells, where it delivered sustained nitric oxide. Nitric oxide has been studied for its ability to disrupt tumor metabolism and sensitize cancer cells to other therapies.
The blood-brain barrier is a major obstacle in neuro-oncology because it blocks most drugs from reaching the brain at therapeutic doses. By exploiting the body’s natural transport pathways for vitamin B12, the team aimed to smuggle the active agent past this barrier and direct it toward malignant cells.
Glioblastoma carries a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving little more than a year after diagnosis despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Treatment is complicated by the tumor’s diffuse growth and its tendency to recur.
The findings are preclinical, and results in animals do not always translate to humans. Additional studies will be needed to confirm safety, determine effective dosing and evaluate whether the targeted delivery improves survival before any human trials can proceed.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/