Brain HealthSound waves and microRNAs open a new front against glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults and one of the hardest cancers to treat. Researchers at the University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, led by Roger Abounader, have developed an experimental strategy that pairs focused ultrasound, microscopic bubbles and nanoparticles to carry microRNAs into the brain. MicroRNAs are small genetic molecules that can switch off several cancer-driving genes at once, including some that no existing drug can target. The ultrasound temporarily opens the brain's protective blood-brain barrier, which normally blocks most medicines from reaching tumors. In animal studies, the approach extended survival. The team hopes to move toward clinical trials in people with glioblastoma and other brain tumors. This is early-stage work, so it is not yet an available treatment, but it points to a way of hitting multiple tumor pathways without the side effects of stacking several conventional drugs.
