Welcome to Study of the Week from Patient Worthy. In this segment, we select a study we posted about from the previous week that we think is of particular interest or importance and go more in-depth. In this story we will talk about the details of the study and explain why it’s important, who will be impacted, and more.
If you read our short form research stories and find yourself wanting to learn more, you’ve come to the right place.
This week’s study is…
Under arrest: Using nanofibers to stop brain tumor cells from spreading
We previously published about this research in a story titled “Researchers Trap Cells to Stop the Spread of Glioblastoma,” which can be found here. The study was originally published in the scientific research journal ACS Applied Bio Materials. You can view the full text of the study here.
This research team was affiliated with the University of Fukui.
What Happened?
Glioblastoma is a rare cancer, but it is still the most widespread form of brain cancer in adults. It’s also highly lethal, with few patients surviving for more than a year. In this study, a team of researchers investigated an innovative approach that aimed to halt the spread of the cancer tumor. The approach sought to intervene in a natural process called cell migration, which takes place during processes like wound healing and the regeneration of tissue. However, this process also takes place during cancer metastasis (the spreading of cancer from its original location).
The researchers aimed to understand the mechanism of glioblastoma spread and intervene in this mechanism using nanofibers. These nanofibers imitate the brain microenvironment in an attempt to trap the cancer cells. The microenvironment is also called the extracellular matrix, a network of fibers that surround cells. The researchers evaluated the behavior of the glioblastoma cells in nanofibers of various densities.
“We fabricated a nanofibrous sheet in which the fiber density changes from end to end gradually using a technique called ‘electrospinning’ and carried out a culture experiment of brain tumor cells.” – Dr. Satoshi Fujita, study lead
Denser nanofibers caused focal adhesions to appear. These are clusters in the cells that slow down the rate of migration. With the knowledge that dense fibers slowed down migration, the research team was able to direct and control cancer cell migration through the use of nanofibers of varying densities. This allowed for many of the cells to get trapped in the high density areas of the sheet. The scientists also found that gaps between the high and low density zones of the sheet also caused the cancer cells to get trapped.
Overall, the research team was able to find an effective method for controlling and limiting the spread of glioblastoma cells using a 2D nanofiber substrate.
About Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is a rare brain cancer. It is also the most aggressive cancer to originate in the brain. It is characterized by its rapid progression and poor response to most treatments. In most cases, the cause of glioblastoma is not known. A small number of cases evolve from another type of tumor called an astrocytoma. Risk factors for glioblastoma include genetic disorders such as Turcot syndrome and neurofibromatosis, exposure to pesticides, smoking, and a career in petroleum refining or rubber manufacture. Symptoms of glioblastoma include personality changes, headaches, memory loss, seizures, vomiting, and nausea; patients may lose consciousness in late stages. Treatment approaches include anticonvulsants, steroids, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. While a small number of patients can survive for several years, treatment is often ineffective, with the tumor relapsing quickly. Five year survival rate is only three percent. To learn more about glioblastoma, click here.
Why Does it Matter?
These results establish that migrating cancer cells can be trapped and controlled through the use of electrospun nanofibers that effectively mimic that brain’s microenvironment nanostructure. The discovery of a method that can prevent the spread of glioblastoma cells along the white matter tract is a meaningful breakthrough in a cancer that is notoriously difficult to treat and has poor rates of long term survival.
The data is also of value because it should help further the understanding of the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment, as well as future approaches for imitating it. From here, the realm of possibilities in terms of developing more effective treatments should expand also. The fact that this approach was successful also has implications for the understanding of how cancer cells can spread far beyond just glioblastoma. However, this research was merely a first step in understanding this process. The scientists say that the next step will be research using a 3D microenvironmental model that will include scaffolds designed to imitate physiological conditions.
Rare and deadly cancers such as glioblastoma continue to be one of the most difficult medical challenges. Therefore, every new discovery or sign of progress is of vital importance.
