Millions of years of evolution have created a tremendously effective immune system when it comes to keeping us safe from many threats. But sometimes such advanced defenses work against us. Allergies are the most obvious example of this, but it may not be the only counterpart: The barriers that protect our brains also protect against the cancers that appear in it.

blood-brain barrier. To protect our most important organ from bacteria and other dangerous agents, we have a network of blood vessels and tissue that acts as a filter or barrier, the blood-brain barrier. This filter allows the passage of water, oxygen and other substances while keeping others out of our brain.

Oncologists are faced with a problem posed by the overzealousness of this obstacle: some treatments are not able to cross this barrier. Thus, treatments that are completely useful for fighting cancer in the rest of the body are completely ineffective against tumors in our brain.

Overcoming difficulties Finding ways to overcome this obstacle is one of the priorities of many oncologists, including a team from the Val d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO). In a paper recently published in the journal cancer ResearchA group of researchers led by VHIO scientists has found a way to overcome this obstacle.

This is a compound called C1a, which is an inhibitor of the BRAF gene. BRAF (B-Raf proto-oncogene) is a gene related to the transmission of information between the cell’s exterior and nucleus, but also to its replication. A mutation of this gene has been linked to a significant number of melanoma cases.

BRAF inhibitors play an important role in the treatment of this type of cancer along with MEK inhibitors (another gene also linked to cell growth and division). A new treatment based on these inhibitors could also help patients whose cancer has not yet reached the brain, as this type of therapy produces some resistance after long-term use.

fight the resistance. That’s why part of the team’s work is to better study the mechanism of this resistance so that it can be delayed for as long as possible through combined treatment. “This understanding will help to identify strong biomarkers of response and ultimately guide patient stratification in clinical trials,” explained Esther Bonfil-Texidor, one of the study’s lead authors.

Fight against melanoma. Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer by number of fatal cases, 57,000 in 2020, and its incidence is increasing. In Spain alone, melanoma affects 9.7 out of every 100,000 people, 4,000 cases a year.

Metastases to the brain develop in 7 to 20% of melanoma cases, and can reach up to 70% in the later stages of the disease.

more obstacles. Cancer rarely begins in the brain, but many tumors develop in the brain after metastasis. In any case, the various obstacles that oncologists must overcome in order to eradicate this disease are innumerable.

The blood-brain barrier isn’t the only example where our body’s overzealousness in protecting our brain creates problems for cancer treatments. The skull is a new physical barrier. The skull limits access to our brains, complicating any surgical options, including the ability to sample tumors.

The brain also presents a hindrance, another metaphor, when it comes to intervention in cancer, and that is that its distinctively tangled shape marks the direction of the tumor, which is the same in this organ. does not grow as if at rest.

way to go. For now, the treatment is in its early stages of development. For this progress to translate into an approved treatment for the fight against cancer, there is still time for trials to confirm its effectiveness and efficiency. Until a treatment is approved, clinical trials consist of a three-phase clinical trial to study whether it is safe and effective and is comparable to other treatments (including placebo). How is it compared to .

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Nation World News is the fastest emerging news website covering all the latest news, world’s top stories, science news entertainment sports cricket’s latest discoveries, new technology gadgets, politics news, and more.

Contact us: contact@nationworldnews.com

© Copyright 2021 Nation World News All Right Reserved.