Brain cancer immunotherapy in mice more effective with drug coating

By Carissa Wong.

A cancer drug coated with nanoparticles can help it cross the barrier that protects the brain from chemicals in the body, allowing it to unleash an immune response that kills brain cancer cells. In a small study in mice, 67 per cent of the animals had no tumours at all.

Brain cells called glial cells grow out of control and form a type of cancer called lioblastoma. The condition makes up around a third of brain tumours, and has a poor survival rate, with just 5 per cent of people surviving for 5 years after being diagnosed.

Usually, these tumours are treated with surgery, followed by radiotherapy and sometimes chemotherapy. While some drugs have shown promise at boosting the body's immune response against brain tumours, the drugs often struggle to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the tumours cells.