In a study from Massachusetts General Hospital, scientists found a blood pressure drug may benefit people with deadly brain cancer.
People with glioblastoma—the deadliest type of primary brain tumor—may benefit from immunotherapy medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors that stimulate an immune response against cancer cells.
However, they may also experience brain swelling, or cerebral edema, during treatment.
Cerebral edema is currently controlled by steroids that are highly immunosuppressive and thus, counter the benefit of immunotherapy.
Thus, new drugs that control edema safely without causing immunosuppression are urgently needed.
In the study, the team found that the blood pressure drug losartan can prevent immunotherapy-induced edema.
The findings showed that taking losartan may allow patients to continue receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors without developing adverse effects in the brain.
The scientists demonstrated that immunotherapy-induced edema results from an inflammatory response that disrupts the blood-tumor barrier, a modification of the blood-brain barrier that occurs with brain cancer.
This response induces blood vessel leakage to cause edema.
The team that losartan can prevent immunotherapy-related edema by reducing the expression of these enzymes.
Losartan also had many other beneficial effects in the tumor environment that enhanced the body’s anti-tumor immune response.
Combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, the team found losartan improved survival in mouse models of glioblastoma, curing 20% of mice, which increased to 40% when combined with the standard of care.
The team notes that because losartan is safe, effective, and affordable, it can be readily prescribed along with immunotherapy to patients with glioblastoma.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and how alcohol, coffee and tea intake influence cognitive decline.
The study was conducted by Rakesh K. Jain et al and published in PNAS.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
Katika utafiti uliofanywa na hospitali ya Massachusetts General Hospital, wanasayansi wamegundua dawa ya kupunguza shinikizo la damu inaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa watu wenye kansa ya ubongo. Watu wenye glioblastoma - aina hatari zaidi ya uvimbe wa ubongo wa msingi - wanaweza kufaidika na dawa za immunotherapy zinazoitwa kizuizi cha uhakika wa kinga ambayo huchochea majibu ya kinga dhidi ya seli za kansa. Hata hivyo, wanaweza pia kupata uvimbe wa ubongo, au uvimbe wa ubongo, wakati wa matibabu. Edema ya ubongo kwa sasa inadhibitiwa na steroids ambazo ni immunosuppressive sana na hivyo, kukabiliana na faida ya immunotherapy. Kwa hiyo, dawa mpya zinazoweza kudhibiti uvimbe kwa usalama bila kusababisha upungufu wa kinga zinahitajika haraka. Katika utafiti huo, timu hiyo iligundua kwamba dawa ya shinikizo la damu losartan inaweza kuzuia uvimbe unaosababishwa na tiba ya kinga. Matokeo ya utafiti huo yanaonyesha kuwa kutumia losartan inaweza kuwawezesha wagonjwa kuendelea kupokea kizuizi cha mfumo wa kinga bila kusababisha athari mbaya kwenye ubongo. Ugonjwa wa immunotherapy huathiri mfumo wa damu-ubongo, na ugonjwa huo unaitwa kansa ya ubongo. Jibu hilo husababisha mfereji wa damu uvute na kusababisha uvimbe. Timu hiyo iligundua kwamba losartan inaweza kuzuia uvimbe unaohusiana na tiba ya kinga kwa kupunguza usemi wa enzymes hizi. Losartan pia ilikuwa na athari nyingine nyingi zenye manufaa katika mazingira ya uvimbe ambazo ziliimarisha majibu ya kinga ya mwili dhidi ya uvimbe. Kwa kuongeza, kwa kutumia dawa ya kuzuia mfumo wa kinga, Losartan iliboresha maisha ya panya walio na glioblastoma, na kuokoa asilimia 20 ya panya, ambayo iliongezeka hadi asilimia 40 wakati ilichukuliwa kwa matibabu ya kawaida. Kwa sababu ya usalama, ufanisi, na bei nafuu, losartan inaweza kuagizwa kwa urahisi pamoja na tiba ya kinga kwa wagonjwa wenye glioblastoma. Kwa wale ambao wana wasiwasi juu ya saratani, tafadhali soma masomo kwamba lishe ya chini ya carb inaweza kuongeza hatari ya jumla ya saratani, na virutubisho vya vitamini D vinaweza kupunguza sana vifo vya saratani. Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu afya ya ubongo, tafadhali angalia masomo ya hivi karibuni kwamba cranberries inaweza kusaidia kuongeza kumbukumbu, na jinsi pombe, kahawa na chai inasaidia kupungua kwa utambuzi. Utafiti huo ulifanywa na Rakesh K. Jain na wenzake na kuchapishwa katika PNAS. Copyright © 2013 Kuhusu Habari za Sayansi Haki zote zimehifadhiwa.