When cancer cells spread to the brain, they lead to the formation of brain metastases. Metastases are the primary cause of mortality and morbidity linked to cancer. Researchers at Instituto de Medicina Molecular have developed models to study brain metastases, which may help to better understand cancer and find new treatment approaches that can be modified to fit the needs of every patient.
For their study, the researchers gathered brain metastases from patients with cancer that arose from tumors located in other organs. They used these cells to generate ailment models that mimicked the illness of every patient.
The scientists also tested the ability of these models to be used as tools to assess the therapeutic value of a number of therapies. They did so by testing a pair of drugs that were already utilized as treatments for cancer in the clinic. These drugs are known to target processes implicated in the formation of metastases.
The researchers discovered that these treatments were effective in the models, as observed in the clinic. The researchers also noted that these treatments were efficient and decreased the size and growth of tumors in the mice models. Testing these drugs and demonstrating their efficiency allowed the scientists to show the potential of these models in exploring new treatment approaches for brain metastases.
The leader of the study, Cláudia C. Faria, stated that these tailored and unique models could be utilized in the study of brain metastases as well as to test anticancer compounds. Faria is a neurosurgeon at the Hospital Santa Maria and a principal investigator of the João Taborda Barata group at Portugal’s Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes.
The study’s first author, Rita Cascão, added that the mice models the group developed could be used to conduct more research on cancer brain metastases of the patients undergoing surgery at the Hospital Santa Maria. These models reflect the clinical manifestations of the fatal disease in patients. They also replicate the biological characteristics of the originating tumors as the genes active in the cancer cells in the mice are similar to the active ones in patients.
The models will be particularly valuable in personalized medicine, because they will help researchers better understand the best clinical approach to treat every individual patient. Faria added that the models they developed could be used to attentively study the illness.
The study’s findings were reported in the “Cell Reports Medicine” scientific journal.
This additional information discovered about the ways through which cancer metastasizes adds to the pool of knowledge made available by entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) as they conduct R&D on cancers affecting the brain.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP
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