Consistently
uniform, easily manufactured microcapsules containing a brain cancer drug may
simplify treatment and provide more tightly controlled therapy, according to
Penn State researchers.
“Brain
tumors are one of the world’s deadliest diseases,” said Mohammad Reza Abidian,
assistant professor of bioengineering, chemical engineering and materials
science and engineering. “Typically doctors resect the tumors, do radiation
therapy, and then chemotherapy.”
The
majority of chemotherapy is done intravenously, but, because the drugs are very
toxic and are not targeted, they have a lot of side effects. Another problem
with intravenous drugs is that they go everywhere in the bloodstream and do not
easily cross the blood brain barrier so little gets to the target tumors. To
counteract this, high doses are necessary.
Microcapsules
to precisely control drug release
“We are
trying to develop a new method of drug delivery,” said Abidian. “Not
intravenous delivery, but localized directly into the tumor site.”
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-09/ps-mpu082913.php
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