Malignant brain cancer is one of the deadliest and most challenging cancers to treat, primarily due to the difficulty of cancer drugs crossing the blood-brain barrier.
Scientists have discovered a potential method to bypass this semi-permeable membrane that protects the brain from harmful substances and pathogens. This could allow for direct delivery of tumor-shrinking chemotherapy medication where it’s most needed.
Implantable Device Bypasses Brain’s Defenses
Using iontronic technology, Swedish and Austrian researchers showed that continuous administration of low-dose cancer drugs near the tumor site can drastically reduce malignant brain tumor growth. Iontronic technology uses controlled movement of charged particles to connect computer chips with living cells.
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
