Glioblastoma is considered one of the most difficult tumors to treat, because many drugs are unable to penetrate the brain due to its natural defenses.
According to the journal Oncoscience, a new study has revealed a potential new approach to treating glioblastoma—one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, which remains difficult to treat, mainly due to the blood-brain barrier that prevents many drugs from reaching the tumor.
A team of researchers led by Joseph Bauer of Nitric Oxide Services, LLC and the Cleveland Clinic studied nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl), a modified form of vitamin B12 that releases nitric oxide.
During preclinical trials, the researchers tested the compound on human NCI-60 tumor cell lines and conducted a drug pharmacokinetic study on rats with glioblastoma.
The results demonstrated antitumor efficacy across a wide range of cancer types. The NO-Cbl compound, administered intravenously, successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated primarily in glioblastoma tissue.
In addition, scientists discovered evidence that the compound remained effective in tumors for a long time, as the nitrate level in tumor tissue remained high for at least 24 hours after injection, while it decreased in normal tissue much more rapidly, indicating targeted delivery of nitric oxide.
Experiments have shown that combining NO-Cbl with TRAIL or temozolomide on glioblastoma cell lines significantly inhibits tumor growth. Researchers assert that this approach could offer a new way to improve drug delivery and combat treatment resistance in the field of neuroblastoma.
