Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest type of brain cancer and patients usually die within 15 months from the time they are diagnosed with the malignancy. Existing treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy aren’t effective in halting the progression of this disease. Now, a new study shows that an experimental therapy containing vitamin B12 could halt GBM in its tracks.
The study was conducted by a team at the Taussig Cancer Center of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation together with Nitric Oxide Services LLC. The researchers investigated a vitamin B12 compound called NO-Cbl (nitrosylcobalamin). This modified type of vitamin B12 releases nitric oxide.
The purpose of the preclinical study was to look into whether this compound could cross the BBB (blood-brain barrier) in order to selectively build up within GBM tumor cells. They were particularly interested in testing the ability of this compound to cross the BBB because one of the major challenges of treating brain cancers like GBM is that the BBB blocks drugs and other therapies from crossing into the brain.
For their study, the team led by Joseph Bauer leveraged many experimental techniques, such as testing this novel compound against GBM cell lines grown in the lab, testing the compound in laboratory rats with glioblastoma, and analyzing the effects of this compound when it was administered alongside existing brain cancer treatments.
Their work revealed that NO-Cbl exhibited anti-tumor activity in many forms of brain cancer. They noted that the compound successfully crossed the BBB and selectively penetrated cancer tumors. Their experiments showed that nitrate levels within tumor cells stayed elevated for 24 hours or more while normal cells had a rapid drop in nitrate concentration. This showed that NO-Cbl exhibited a preference for tumor cells.
When the compound was administered alongside approved brain cancer treatments, such as temozolomide, anti-tumor activity was enhanced in a way that didn’t happen when those approved treatments were administered on their own.
The study authors say the compound could have the potential to address many of the mechanisms that GBM tumors exploit to resist the conventional treatments used against this cancer. They plan to build on their pilot study in order to conduct additional investigations into how exactly the vitamin B12 compound attains the effects they observed.
In their future work, the team intends to investigate optimum dosing levels, track the activity of nitric oxide over longer durations, and study other related mechanisms that are evident while this compound is active within the tumor microenvironment.
This planned work will then pave the way for human clinical trials before the therapy is available in clinical settings.
This preclinical study complements related work being done by various companies like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) aimed at commercializing better treatments targeting glioblastoma and other cancers affecting the central nervous system.
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