New substance causes self-destruction of cancer cells in brain tumors

KHS101 is revolutionizing the cancer treatment of brain tumors?

Cancers threaten the lives of many people worldwide. Especially for people with an aggressive brain tumor, there are few options for treatment. Researchers now found that an experimental substance leads to self-destruction of aggressive brain tumor cells.

The researchers from the University of Leeds found in their recent research that an experimental substance tempts aggressive brain tumor cells to destroy itself. This could in the future lead to a new generation of treatments for cancers like glioblastomas. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Science Translational Medicine".

Glioblastoma is a cancer that is difficult to treat. Only five percent of sufferers live longer than five years. A new substance could change that. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

KHS101 blocks the energy supply of cancer cells

The decade-long absence of new treatment options for glioblastoma could soon come to an end. Tests on glioblastoma multiforme tumor cells in mice showed that the synthetic substance KHS101 was able to block the energy supply to cancer cells. The experts had originally expected the substance to slow the growth of the cells. But the effects were quite different, the treatment reduced the size of the tumors and healthy brain cells were not attacked, explain the physicians. Hopefully, the study's findings will help significantly improve treatment for this devastating form of cancer, which only about 5 percent of patients survive for more than five years, researchers say.

Tumor cells destroyed themselves

KHS101 works by destroying the mitochondria, the power plants that drive the cells of all complex organisms and the metabolism within the tumor cells. When this research began, scientists estimated that KHS101 might slow glioblastoma growth. Surprisingly, however, the experts found that the tumor cells basically destroyed themselves.

Healthy brain cells were not affected by KHS101

This is only the first step in a long process, but the results pave the way for drug developers to investigate the use of this substance. The physicians hope that one day KHS101 will help extend the lives of patients with glioblastomas in the clinic. The researchers also investigated the effect of the substance on tumor cells that were transferred from humans to mice. The growth of tumors in mice treated with KHS101 decreased by about half and normal brain cells were unaffected by the exposure to the substance.

KHS101 can cross the blood-brain barrier

Crucially, the drug has overcome the so-called blood-brain barrier that exists in mammals to prevent toxins and parasites from harming the brain, the researchers explain. Treatment of glioblastoma has been essentially unchanged for decades, so there is an urgent need for preclinical research such as this to identify and characterize potential new drugs.

Further research is needed

The results are quite encouraging, but further thorough testing and refinement of KHS101 is required before initial human trials can begin, the scientists conclude. (As)