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A new study on tumour evolution and spread carried out by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory(CSHL) has found out that tumours wont evolve gradually,but they do it in a punctuated manner(bursts).It is a finding that has already shed new light on the process of tumor growth and metastasis, and may help in the development of new methods to clinically evaluate tumors.
The majority of drugs do not penetrate from blood into the brain because of the hematoencephalic barrier existing between them. This creates a lot of difficulties for brain tumor treatment. Russian researchers have developed a system for drug delivery into the brain with the help of nanoparticles and demonstrated its efficiency on laboratory animals.
Glioblastoma is the most widespread and the most dangerous variety of the brain malignant tumor. At the moment, chemotherapy of such tumors has little effect due to existence of the hematoencephalic barrier – the filter that prevents alien agents (including drugs) from passing into the brain. Researchers worldwide are working to create medicinal systems, which could be used for glioblastoma therapy.
Cancer cells photographed by camera attached to microscope in time-lapse manner. Image via Wikipedia
The upside of chemotherapy is that it attacks cancer cells and kills them. The downside – and a steep downside it is – is that it is composed of highly toxic compounds that attack other cells of the body, too, resulting in any number of harmful side effects, from anemia to hair loss to nausea and vomiting.
The question concerning researchers is how do we deliver chemotherapy drugs to the harmful cells and leave the healthy cells alone?
Purdue University researchers have reproduced portions of the female breast in a tiny slide-sized model dubbed “breast on-a-chip” that will be used to test nanomedical approaches for the detection and treatment of breast cancer.
The model mimics the branching mammary duct system, where most breast cancers begin, and will serve as an “engineered organ” to study the use of nanoparticles to detect and target tumor cells within the ducts.
Sophie Lelièvre, associate professor of basic medical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, and James Leary, SVM Professor of Nanomedicine and professor of basic medical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine and professor of biomedical engineering in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, led the team.
Scientists from University of Strathclyde have devised a novel way to harness natural vitamin E extract that would kill tumours within 10 days.
Using a new delivery system, the research team could mobilise an extract from Vitamin E, known ton have anti-cancer properties, to attack cancerous cells.
In the study conducted over skin cancer, the researchers found that tumours started to shrink within 24 hours and almost vanished in ten days.
They believe the tumours might have been completely destroyed if the tests had continued for longer.
When the tumours regrew, they did so at a far slower rate than previously.