MAGNETS could one day be used to tackle deadly brain cancers, say scientists.
Research suggests they can steer tumour-killing drugs around the body with revolutionary accuracy.
Corbis – GettyMagnets could be used instead of chemo to tackle deadly brain cancers, say scientists[/caption]
It could avoid the crippling side effects and health risks of pumping toxic chemotherapy through the blood, which damages healthy tissue and organs as well as cancer cells.
In a study on mice, scientists funded by Cancer Research UK [must keep] used a helmet to flood brain tumours with chemotherapy carried by magnetic particles.
The creatures’ cancers shrunk and they lived longer than other mice that were simply injected with the treatment, called temozolomide.
Dr Munitta Muthana, from the University of Sheffield, said: “We are really excited by these data.
“The proof of concept is there and I think we’ve taken the therapy as far as we can in our laboratories.
“I would like to test it in larger animals to know if it could work in a human. We need funding to move it to the next level.”
The helmet they developed contains a network of tiny magnets that can be switched on and off to focus the magnetic field exactly where the tumour is.
Drug molecules are then fixed to tiny metal particles which are injected and attracted to the right area of the brain by the magnet.
MRI machines – magnetic scanners already widely used in NHS hospitals – could also be used to scale up the treatment if it is proven to work in people.
And patients could be treated with existing drugs which are currently hard to get into the brain in large quantities without serious side effects.
Dr Muthana said: “We see an increase in survival in our mouse models, so that is our ultimate goal for humans.
“Also their quality of life is better whilst they’re on the treatment – there are fewer side effects and it’s a less invasive treatment, this is a kind of precision medicine.”
The researchers have set up a company called NanoOncolytics to develop the system commercially.
Dr Lawrence Young, a cancer treatment expert at Warwick University, said: “Magnetic nanoparticles have been explored for many years with mixed results.
“It is an interesting idea and the early results in animal models are encouraging, but there are many challenges in scaling up this approach in humans.
“Ensuring that normal brain tissue isn’t affected and that magnetic particles don’t accumulate in other tissues or leak the drug will all need to be thoroughly assessed.”
Cancer Research UK’s Dr Catherine Elliott said: “Brain tumours remain one of the most difficult tumours to treat.
“The blood-brain barrier prevents harmful substances from entering the brain, making it harder to target tumours with conventional chemotherapy.
“The concept behind this technology is both simple and elegant and could be applied to other types of tumours as well.
“While it is a long way from the clinic, we look forward to seeing the team in Sheffield develop it further.”