Scientists found a way past the brain's toughest defense

Researchers at the University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center have found a way to slip cancer-fighting molecules past the brain's toughest defense, offering a new line of attack against glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults. The disease claims more than 13,000 lives in the United States each year, partly because the blood-brain barrier blocks most drugs from ever reaching the tumor. The team, led by Roger Abounader, used tiny genetic molecules called microRNAs that can shut down several cancer-driving genes at once. To get them in, the scientists paired nanoparticles with focused ultrasound and microscopic bubbles that briefly pry open the barrier. In animal models, the treatment slowed tumor growth and helped the animals live longer. "This new approach could help target numerous molecules that promote cancer growth, including those for which no drugs exist," Abounader said. It remains experimental. The researchers made the study open access, free to read.