This episode of Michigan Minds features three researchers who, along with colleagues, conducted an interdisciplinary study in which they discovered a new synthetic protein nanoparticle that could deliver cancer-killing drugs directly to brain tumors. They discuss the research process, the unprecedented findings, and their chances of winning the STAT Madness tournament.
Those interviewed are:
- Maria Castro, PhD, R.C. Schneider Professor of Neurosurgery, and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School
- Joerg Lahann, PhD, Director of the Biointerfaces Institute and Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering
- Jason Gregory, senior graduate student in the Lahann Lab, College of Engineering
The approach they discovered helped mice fight off glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer (which has a median survival of approximately 18 months), and could help enable new clinical therapies for treating glioblastoma. This is the first study to demonstrate an intravenous medication that can cross the blood-brain barrier.
Gregory explains the process, which involved treating mice with this new approach coupled with focused radiation—the current state-of-the-art treatment for glioblastoma. When seven of the eight mice treated reached long-term survival, they implanted a second tumor in the brain.
“And then, without any additional treatments, we saw a 100 percent survival in those animals, indicating that there may be an immune response to the treatments,” Gregory says.
The typical approach to treating glioblastoma, Lahann explains, is very complex, which is why being able to treat a patient with a “simple injection” makes a big difference.
Castro elaborates:
“Up until now, whenever you want to deliver something into the tumor, as Joerg explained, you have to do major surgery, open the skull, and sometimes they put in a reservoir in which they put the drugs,” she says.
“Patients can be prone to infections. It’s really very difficult to do it. So the fact that with a simple systemic injection, you can deliver your therapies and they will reach the tumor safely, it’s really a huge advancement in developing novel therapeutics for brain cancer.”
Although there are genetic differences between mice and humans, Lahann says these findings are still encouraging—and unprecedented. As far as what’s next for the study, he says they’ll now go back through each step so they can engineer the next version.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
This project made the “STAT Madness” tournament brackets, in which 64 schools and colleges across the country compete for the best innovative research discoveries of the year. Fans cheer on their team by casting votes daily on the tournament website.
“It was a great surprise and a great honor to find our work showcased and portrayed in the STAT Madness for science,” Castro says. “It helps to raise the awareness of brain cancer research and therapeutics, essentially worldwide. [Glioblastoma] is a disease for which there’s a huge need and thus it will maybe impact students to come into the research and will impact philanthropists to donate to research. It really is a very significant achievement that our work is showcased in STAT Madness.”
Lahann says he too was surprised to see their work in the running.
“Reading about all those projects, I was very impressed with the amazing work that’s going on throughout the country. I’m very honored to be a part of this and that our project was selected with all of these other amazing projects that are highlighted there,” he says.
Gregory noted the number of discoveries made at U-M in the 64 projects.
“It is extremely honoring and humbling. When you look at the type of research projects that are included within the 64, I know the University of Michigan had, at the onset, five different projects or papers that were included. It is humbling to kind of know that you’re in there among them.”
STAT Madness helps the public learn about exciting scientific advances, many of which are funded with federal tax dollars. The event is run by STAT, a health news organization and part of Boston Globe Media.
