In a new study, a team of scientists tested an implantable pump system that can deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to the brain. First, a small pump is surgically placed in the patient’s abdomen, then a thin, flexible catheter is placed under the skin in the part of the brain where the tumor is located.
The idea is that this pump can continue to deliver medication for a very long time. It can be switched on and off wirelessly and refilled as needed. The nature of the treatment also means that patients can take the drug while continuing their normal activities and do not even know when the pump has been turned on or off.
“The concentration of the drug entering the brain is 1,000 times higher than when given intravenously or orally,” says Jeffrey Bruce, senior author of the study.
During the study, five patients with recurrent glioblastoma received pump implants. Patients received treatment for four consecutive weeks with the pumps on for two days and off for five days.
An MRI scan taken a few days after treatment showed that the chemotherapy drug had successfully saturate the tumor and its surroundings. Biopsy performed after treatment showed that the number of active tumor cells was significantly reduced without affecting healthy brain tissue. And more importantly, none of the patients developed serious neurological complications. But more research is needed
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Source: Ferra
