Nanofibres used to 'move tumour cells'

A new technique has been found to lure glioblastoma tumour cells away from the blood vessels and nerve fibres, stopping them from spreading throughout the brain. Scientists have managed to use nanofibres that are smaller than a human hair to alter this migratory system in order to lead the tumour cells away from the brain.

Glioblastoma tumours are incredibly difficult to treat, especially as tumour cells are able to spread throughout the brain and reach other areas to create new tumours. This means that the cancer is able to spread quickly, making it more deadly than other forms of cancer.

The new technique allows for the tumour cells to attach to the nanofibres and follow them to an area outside of the brain, stopping the spread of the brain cancer. This enables the cells to be captured and then killed, increasing the chances of survival for the patient.

Researchers have been able to partially move glioblastoma tumours from areas of the brain that are inoperable to places that are more accessible. While this does not completely remove the tumour, it has been found to reduce their size within animal models. This means that this type of brain cancer could in the future be treated as other chronic diseases are.

Ravi Bellamkonda, lead investigator and chair of the Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, US, said: “We have designed a polymer thin film nanofiber that mimics the structure of nerves and blood vessels that brain tumour cells normally use to invade other parts of the brain.

“The cancer cells normally latch onto these natural structures and ride them like a monorail to other parts of the brain. By providing an attractive alternative fibre, we can efficiently move the tumours along a different path to a destination that we choose.”

The study, published in the journal 'Nature Materials', could provide a better treatment option for glioblastoma, which is an incredibly aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. The fibres, made from polycaprolactone (PCL), simulates the contours of blood vessels and nerves, which the tumour cells usually follow.

Nanofibres were implanted in the brains of rats that had human glioblastoma tumours growing. The cells were led from the tumour to a "tumour collector" gel that contained cyclopamine, a drug that is toxic to cancer cells. The tumours in the rats that were implanted with the nanofibres, compared to those that received no fibre or an untextured PCL fibre, were found to have reduced substantially 18 days after implantation.