STAT3- Nanotechnology Targeting for Improving Mortality Rate for Aggressive Brain Cancer

Release Date: 02-Nov-2020

Nanoparticle based on human serum albumin developed by a group of researchers is now able to cross blood brain barrier in order to deliver the drugs for the treatment of glioblastoma cells. As per research conducted, it is observed that glioblastoma cancer is one of most aggressive types of brain cancer ever diagnosed in the cancer patients. The media survival rate of the patients suffering from glioblastoma is 18 months and the overall five-year survival rate of such patients is also only 5%. The most challenging part of the treatment of glioblastoma cancer is the presence of blood brain barrier which doesn’t allow the drugs to enter the brain for further process of the treatment. The presence of blood brain barrier prevents the entry of drugs as well as toxins and foreign particles entering the brain cells. Apparently, this also leads to the development of various challenges for the researchers as they are not able to make the drug enter the brain cells for the treatment of the brain cancer.

Therefore, a group of researchers from the University of Michigan developed few of the molecules that have the capability of cross blood brain barrier. As per research conducted, the developed nanoparticle is able to target Signal Transducer and Activation of Transcription 3 (STAT3), which is a protein molecule used by the cancer cells in order to shut the immune system from getting activated and thus allowing entry into the brain cells. The researchers working on the study developed a peptide and STAT3 inhibitor called as iRGD, which is believed to act as a tumour homing device.

In the respective study, researchers evaluated the nanoparticle in combination with some of the standard glioblastoma therapies such as radiation therapy. As per research conducted, out of eight mice models that were getting evaluated seven experienced long-term survival rate and completely tumor free body. Also, the researchers reported that this respective combination was able to develop a memory in the models. As per the research conducted and observation, it is estimated that this respective study is a huge step towards clinical success as there are very few drugs that are capable of passing blood brain barrier for the treatment of brain cancer. It is also estimated that the success of this study will also lead to the development of small-molecule drugs for such types of solid-based tumors.